THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 


BT  FREDERIC   C4RREL 

JOHN  JOHNS 

AN  EDUCATION 

THE  CITY 

THE    PROGRESS  OF  PAULINE  KESSLER 

THE  REALIZATION  OF  JUSTUS  MORAN 

HOUSES  OF  IGNORANCE 

MARCUS  AND  FAUSTINA 


The  Methods 
of  Mr.  Ames 

FREDERIC  CARREL 


NEW  YORK 
MITCHELL  KENNERLEY 


Copyright  1908,  by  Mitchell  Kennerlej 


The  Methods  of  Mr.  Ames 


THE  shriek  of  the  steam  syren  announced  the  en- 
trance of  the  Channel  steamer  into  Dover  harbour  as 
Ames  stood  upon  the  deck  amid  a  crowd  of  passen- 
gers. This,  then,  was  England,  the  land  which  he 
had  quitted  as  a  boy,  and  which,  as  a  man,  he  had 
come  to  seek  again. 

The  spring  sun  shone  through  a  whisk  of  cloud 
on  the  high  stone  pier,  but  the  sky,  Ames  thought, 
was  pale,  contrasting  badly  with  the  firmament  of 
Florence,  which  he  had  left  three  days  before. 

No  matter,  this  was  the  land  where  he  was  born. 
It  was  here  that  a  new  era  of  his  life  was  to  begin, 
where  the  passage  from  poverty  to  wealth  was  des- 
tined to  be  made,  if  the  prospects  which  had  been 
held  out  to  him  were  true.  !As  the  vessel  stopped, 
he  moved  with  the  crowd  of  passengers  towards  the 
exit.  Landing  presently,  he  passed  into  the  station, 
and  after  a  short  halt  at  the  Customs  took  a  seat  in 
the  London  train. 

From  the  carriage  window,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  journey,  he  observed  the  scene.  The  harsh  slate 
roofs  and  the  uniformity  of  the  red-brick  houses, 
the  mist  of  coal  smoke  which  hovered  round  the  out- 
skirts of  the  town,  then  the  bright  green  meadows 
and  the  foliage  of  the  trees  and  hedges,  revived  mem- 
ories which  were  almost  lost.  The  same  aspect  of  the 

2134836 


2          THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

outer  world  had  met  his  gaze  when  as  a  boy  he  had 
left  with  his  widowed  mother  flying  from  poverty  at 
home.  His  boyhood  had  been  passed  in  the  clement 
atmosphere  of  Florence,  and  when  he  had  left  the 
University  of  Rome,  equipped  with  the  knowledge 
which  it  had  to  give,  he  had  drifted  into  art,  for 
which  he  had  an  aptitude.  He  was  thinking  of  de- 
voting himself  to  it  entirely  when  two  events,  one 
following  hard  upon  the  other,  had  turned  his  foot- 
steps towards  England.  Throughout  their  exile, 
while  they  were  living  in  a  state  approaching  want, 
his  mother  had  maintained  that  one  day  they  would 
be  affluent,  and  that  all  the  stings  of  poverty  would 
be  removed.  But  he  had  scarcely  heeded  her,  think- 
ing that  the  contingency  on  which  she  based  her 
hopes  was  too  remote  to  be  worth  considering.  And 
yet  that  contingency,  it  seemed,  had  turned  into  a 
reality.  A  railway  accident  had  killed  a  father  and 
a  son,  and  two  days  after  his  mother's  death  he  had 
been  made  aware  that  he  was  the  next-of-kin.  At 
first  he  had  scarcely  credited  the  news,  thinking  his 
uncle  in  Australia,  from  whom  he  never  heard,  almost 
mythical.  But  the  letters  from  the  solicitors  were 
so  definite  and  categorical,  that  at  length  he  had 
resolved  to  come. 

The  life  of  straitened  means  which  he  had  led  in 
Florence,  the  limitations  of  desire  which  it  imposed, 
the  humiliations  which  he  had  suffered,  and  his  tem- 
peramental love  of  elegance,  all  made  him  realise 
how  great  a  change  in  the  scope  of  his  existence' 
would  come  about  if  the  fortune,  as  to  which  the  law- 
yers wrote,  were  his.  Society,  which  had  frowned 
on  him  so  long,  would  smile  upon  him  now,  perhaps. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES  3 

The  train  reached  the  outskirts  of  the  metropolis, 
and  Ames  gazed  with  wonder  at  the  field  of  roofs  and 
chimney  tops  which  form  the  sad  approach  to  Char- 
ing Cross.  Then  he  closed  his  eyes  until  the  train 
had  reached  the  station. 

At  first  he  had  been  undecided  as  to  the  choice  of 
a  hotel.  He  had  heard  that  London  now  possessed 
inns  of  great  magnificence,  but  he  thought  it  wiser, 
until  his  position  was  assured,  to  select  a  small  hotel 
in  Jermyn  Street  which  he  knew. 

Accordingly,  as  soon  as  he  had  gone  through  the 
ordeal  of  the  luggage,  he  took  a  cab.  The  aspect 
of  London  in  that  quarter  of  the  capital  is  sufficiently 
imposing,  and  Ames  looked  at  the  series  of  Doric  or 
Corinthian  temples  of  the  clubs  with  a  certain  ad- 
miration. He  noticed  further  on  the  fulness  of  the 
thoroughfares,  and  the  lively  pace  at  which  the 
people  walked. 

There  was  plenty  of  vitality,  he  thought,  in  a  race 
that  walked  so  fast,  and  he  wondered  that  he  was 
not  more  in  sympathy  with  this  activity.  It  must 
be,  he  concluded,  that  the  life  of  Italy  had  modified 
his  natural  proclivities,  and  that  was  also  why  he  felt 
somewhat  a  stranger  in  his  native  land.  No  matter, 
he  would  adapt  himself  to  English  life,  no  doubt,  and 
if  he  could  not,  well  then  he  would  depart. 

The  cab  stopped  at  the  hotel,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  he  had  been  given  a  comfortable  room  looking 
out  upon  the  quiet  street.  He  retired  early,  and 
when  he  woke  the  next  morning  the  sun  was  shining, 
illumining  the  smoke-grimed  walls  of  the  houses 
opposite.  He  took  this  as  a  good  omen,  and  dressed 
with  a  feeling  of  expectancy. 


4          THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

He  opened  his  window,  and  the  air  was  fresh  and 
stimulating.  Glistening  hansoms  with  rubbered 
wheels  glided  swiftly,  almost  silently,  along.  The 
passers  on  the  pavement  walked  with  an  air  of 
strength  and  capability.  This  was  a  city  of  many 
possibilities,  and  he  hurried  down  to  breakfast  so  that 
he  might  lose  no  time  in  becoming  acquainted  with  it. 

The  office  of  the  solicitors  was  in  Chancery  Lane, 
and  as  it  was  still  early  he  set  out  on  foot  for  his 
destination,  after  inquiring  the  road  he  should  take. 
As  a  boy,  he  had  visited  London  once  or  twice,  and 
as  soon  as  he  found  himself  in  Trafalgar  Square  he 
felt  that  he  was  upon  known  ground.  If  the  streets 
had  seemed  thronged  the  night  before,  they  seemed 
invaded  now.  Truly  this  was  a  busy  place.  Pass- 
ing along  the  narrow  Strand,  noticing  the  strange 
disharmonies  of  divergent  architectures,  and  the  pres- 
ence of  the  old  at  the  side  of  the  new,  he  reached  the 
blackening  pile  of  the  Tudoresque  Law  Courts,  ob- 
serving with  a  smile  the  obstruction  which  obscured 
their  view.  Reaching  the  narrow  lane  in  which  the 
lawyers  carry  on  their  trade,  he  found  the  number 
readily.  Winston  &  Morris  was  written  large  upon  a 
brass  plate  of  the  ground-floor  office  which  he  entered. 
He  asked  a  clerk  whose  head  appeared  at  an  open 
wicket  if  he  could  see  either  of  the  partners.  He  was 
eyed  suspiciously  at  first  and  asked  if  he  had  made  a 
previous  appointment.  But  when  he  announced  his 
name  the  clerk  at  once  descended  from  his  stool,  and 
with  an  air  of  excessive  deference  opened  the  door  of 
an  inner  room,  in  which  he  requested  him  to  wait  a 
moment.  Mr.  Winston  would  receive  him  soon.  And 
while  he  waited,  seated  in  a  low  arm-chair  in  a  small 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES          5 

room  lined  with  deed-boxes,  he  could  hear  the  clerks 
discussing  something  in  low  tones.  Once  he  caught 
the  words :  "  I  should  like  to  be  in  his  shoes,"  and, 
presuming  that  they  related  to  himself,  he  concluded 
that  he  must  be  held  to  be  in  a  fortunate  position. 
So  much  the  better  if  it  was  so,  but  he  was  quite 
determined  that  he  would  not  allow  his  pulse  to  beat 
one  second  faster  than  its  wont.  If  wealth  was  his,, 
he  would  accept  the  life  which  it  afforded.  If  not, 
then,  without  regret,  he  would  continue  his  career. 

Presently  the  clerk  reappeared  and,  with  the  same 
deference  which  he  had  shown  at  first,  requested  him 
to  step  into  the  adjoining  room.  Here  he  found  a 
man  of  fifty  with  a  shaven,  legal  face  and  keen,  grey 
eyes  which  scrutinised  him  keenly,  but  approvingly. 

"  You've  come  at  last,  Mr.  Ames,"  he  said.  "  I 
have  seldom  seen  an  heir  so  unconcerned." 

Ames  smiled,  and  Winston  added: 

"  Since  my  last  letter  the  whole  affair  has  been 
completed.  On  the  smallest  computation,  the  for- 
tune of  your  uncle  amounts  to  close  upon  eight  hun- 
dred thousand  pounds!" 

Unmoved,  Ames  said: 

"  And  is  it  genuine?  " 

"  Oh,  absolutely ;  the  bulk  is  in  Colonial  Stock." 

*'  Then  I  must  consider  myself  as  rich?  " 

"  Oh,  very  affluent  indeed.  You  are  distinctly  to 
be  envied." 

Then  he  explained  to  Ames  that  not  only  was  the 
fortune  in  Colonial  Bonds,  but  that  the  bulk  of  it 
was  lodged  in  London,  so  that  all  that  was  required 
to  send  him  into  possession  was  his  signature  to  sun- 
dry deeds  and  the  receipt  of  a  reply  from  Melbourne, 


6          THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

which  would  probably  come  in  about  a  month.  In 
the  meantime  he  would  be  happy  to  act  as  Ames' 
banker.  A  clerk  was  called  and  Ames  signed  a  num- 
ber of  documents  and  papers. 

Then  Winston  asked: 

"  For  how  much  shall  I  have  you  a  cheque  made 
out?" 

But  Ames  had  a  profound  dislike  to  borrow. 
*  "I  am  not  in  need  of  money  now." 

"  As  you  like,  of  course.  But  tell  me,  do  you 
know  many  people  here?  " 

"  Our  friends  in  London  all  deserted  us  because 
we  were  so  poor." 

"  Oh,  they'll  be  delighted  to  receive  you  now." 

"  Indeed?  " 

"  You  will  want  a  club.  Shall  I  put  you  up  for 
mine?  " 

"  Thank  you  exceedingly.    Not  yet." 

Winston  could  not  suppress  a  cough  of  slight  im- 
patience. 

"  We  have  a  fair  share  of  the  peerage." 

But  Ames  was  silent.  Why  should  he  give  rea- 
sons? He  had  done  so  long  enough,  and  since  this 
power  was  his,  it  amused  and  pleased  him  to  exercise 
it  now.  For  the  rest,  he  must  be  better  informed 
than  he  was  before  taking  steps  in  his  new  career. 

This  closed  the  interview.  Ames,  after  promising 
to  call  in  a  week  for  some  additional  formalities, 
withdrew.  When  he  found  himself  in  the  street 
again,  he  felt  surprised  that  he  was  not  conscious 
of  more  joy.  True,  he  experienced  a  comfortable 
feeling  of  assured  existence,  and  many  plans  of 
pleasurable  life  suggested  themselves  to  him  as  if 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES          7 

competing  for  adoption.  Nevertheless,  there  was  no 
exuberance,  and  he  concluded  that  if  this  was  the 
case  it  must  be  either  that  there  was  something  in  the 
atmosphere  that  calmed  emotion,  or  else  that  the 
effect  of  early  disappointment  had  been  to  deaden 
enthusiasm  in  his  nature.  He  looked  at  the  passers 
in  the  street,  wondering  if  they  would  have  felt  dif- 
ferent in  his  position,  what  any  of  those  busy  men 
who  seemed  so  eagerly  engaged  in  the  struggle  for 
the  daily  bread  would  have  done  if  he  had  found 
himself,  as  the  clerk  expressed  it,  in  his  shoes.  Some, 
perhaps,  would  have  gone  mad,  others  would  have 
at  once  indulged  in  all  the  pleasures  which  they  had 
been  hitherto  denied,  rushed  round  the  country  in 
a  motor  car,  gambled,  or  founded  a  museum  to  per- 
petuate their  name,  or  done  a  hundred  other  partly 
wise  and  partly  foolish  things.  And  no  doubt  a 
little  later  on  he  would  also  do  some  semi-wise  and 
semi-foolish  things  since  life  was  an  alternation  of 
wisdom  and  of  folly.  But  for  the  moment  he  wanted 
to  do  no  more  than  observe,  so  that  he  might  dis- 
cover the  course  to  take  that  led  directly  and  securely 
to  the  end  for  which  men  seemed  to  him  to  live,  for 
power.  With  the  greatest  wealth,  he  knew,  there 
might  be  unhappiness  if  the  possessor  did  not  act 
astutely  or  with  what  the  Machiavellian  ethics  (with 
which  one  of  his  professors  had  almost  secretly  im- 
bued him)  termed  virtti.  Yes,  in  this  age,  as  in  that 
of  Machiavelli,  a  man  must  have  that  peculiar  com- 
bination of  astuteness,  nerve  strength,  patience,  and 
determination  which  was  called  virtil.  And  he  was 
well  resolved  that,  as  far  as  in  him  lay,  he  would 
display  that  quality. 


8          THE  METHODS  OF.  MR.  AMES 

He  walked  along,  looking  around  with  what 
seemed  to  him  an  increasing  interest  in  men  and 
things,  realising  that  now  that  he  was  privileged  to 
be  a  spectator  in  the  theatre  of  existence,  freed  from 
the  necessity  of  toil,  there  was  an  interest  in  life  of 
a  kind  which  he  had  not  previously  experienced.  The 
anxiety  of  sustenance  had  been  removed.  All  these 
people  whom  he  met  looked  more  or  less  careworn. 
For  many  of  them,  no  doubt,  the  daily  wage  was 
hard  to  earn  and  worry  was  their  lot.  Well,  he 
was  relieved  of  that,  and  if  he  failed  to  make  life 
yield  its  best,  he  would  only  have  himself  to 
blame. 

It  was  nearly  one  o'clock  before  he  found  himself 
at  Charing  Cross  again,  and  as  he  was  feeling  some- 
what hungry,  he  entered  the  nearest  hotel,  which 
happened  to  be  the  "  Grand,"  and  lunched. 

Then,  as  he  had  a  plan  for  the  afternoon  and 
wanted  to  execute  it,  he  sauntered  back  to  his  hotel, 
went  up  to  his  room,  and  drew  from  his  valise  a 
slip  of  paper  on  which  were  written  a  few  names 
and  addresses.  These  were  the  people  whom  his 
mother  used  to  know  and  of  whom  he  had  vaguely 
heard  from  time  to  time  in  Florence.  He  gazed  at 
the  little  list  and  wondered  whether  the  persons 
named  in  it  existed  still,  and,  if  so,  whether  they 
were  to  be  found  at  the  same  addresses  now.  They 
were  people  of  substance,  he  remembered,  and  it  was 
likely  that  they  had  not  changed  their  residences. 
He  had  found  most  of  them  in  the  Court  Directory 
the  night  before;  but  as  the  volume  was  three  years 
old  it  was  clearly  unreliable.  Anyway,  it  would  not 
take  long  to  ascertain. 


THE  METHODS  OF.  MR.  AMES          9 

As  it  was  still  early,  he  spent  an  hour  reading  the 
papers  which  he  had  bought  upon  the  way,  admir- 
ing the  skill  which  those  of  rival  politics  displayed 
in  welding  facts  into  harmony  with  each  of  their 
political  contentions.  What  curious  minds  these 
writers  must  possess,  he  thought,  since  they  could 
twist  the  truth  so  skilfully  to  suit  their  ends!  In 
one  paper  the  virtue  of  the  Government  was  praised 
in  terms  that  could  scarcely  fail  to  rouse  a  generous 
enthusiasm  in  the  reader's  breast.  In  another,  the 
same  Government  was  proved  to  be  a  body  of  inca- 
pables,  guided  by  no  good  motives.  Which  was 
right?  One  or  neither?  He  had  neglected  English 
politics  abroad,  but  he  promised  himself  that  he 
would  lose  no  time  in  studying  their  trend. 

When  he  had  finished  his  reflections  he  left  his 
room,  went  out,  and  hailing  a  hansom,  ordered  the 
driver  to  take  him  to  the  first  address  upon  his 
list. 

This  was  a  house  in  Eaton  Square,  high-porticoed, 
imposing.  He  rang  the  bell  and  asked  if  Mrs.  Pen- 
ton  was  at  home.  The  servant  thought  she  was  en- 
gaged, but  after  inquiring  his  name  he  showed  him 
into  a  room  on  the  ground  floor,  furnished  as  a 
library.  Here  Ames  waited  half  an  hour,  reading 
the  titles  of  the  volumes  on  the  shelves,  historical  and 
sporting,  gazing  at  the  mezzotints  which  hung  upon 
the  walls,  and  at  length,  when  he  had  begun  to  think 
that  he  had  been  forgotten,  and  was  in  the  act  of 
going  out,  the  butler  appeared  again  and  requested 
him  to  follow  him  upstairs.  In  the  handsome  draw- 
ing-room into  which  he  was  shown,  some  twenty  per- 
sons of  both  sexes,  seated  at  little  tables,  were  play- 


10        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

ing  cards.  No  one  looked  up  as  he  entered,  but 
presently  from  the  farther  window  corner  an  elderly 
man  advanced. 

"  You  are  the  son  of  Mrs.  Mary  Ames  ?  " 

Ames  assented,  and  Penton,  scruthiising  him,  led 
him  to  a  recess  at  the  end  of  the  room  farthest  from 
the  card-tables  and  asked  him  to  sit  down. 

"  It's  a  great  many  years  since  I  saw  your  mother, 
who  left  England,  if  I  remember  rightly,  after  your 
father's  death  when  you  were  quite  a  boy.  And  how 
and  where  is  your  mother  now?  " 

"  My  mother  died  at  Florence  a  few  months  ago." 

"  Indeed,"  said  Penton,  with  feigned  concern. 
"  I'm  sorry  to  hear  it." 

He  added  in  a  half-suspicious  tone: 

"  You  were  educated,  I  suppose,  in  Italy  ?  " 

"Yes,  in  Italy." 

"  And  what  are  you  doing  now?  " 

"  Hitherto  I've  studied  art." 

"  Art ! "  Penton  repeated  in  a  tone  of  something 
like  deprecation.  "  And  is  that  what  has  brought 
you  here?  " 

"  I've  come  on  business." 

"  And  where  are  you  staying?  " 

"  At  James's  Hotel  in  Jermyn  Street." 

"Oh,"  said  Penton  in  a  tone  which  seemed  to  de- 
note ignorance  of  the  status  of  the  establishment 
which  Ames  had  named. 

For  a  moment  Penton  reflected,  and,  while  he  was 
doing  so,  Ames  observed  him  closely,  noticing  that 
his  hair  and  his  moustache  were  black,  although  he 
knew  that  he  must  be  sixty;  that  his  face,  though 
puffed  somewhat  unhealthily,  was  free  from  wrin- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         11 

kles ;  that  his  figure  was  so  faultless  that  he  seemed 
to  be  wearing  stays. 

Penton  said  at  length : 

"  We  have  a  bridge  party  here  this  afternoon,  as 
you  perceive,  and  so  I'm  not  quite  free.  I  suppose 
you  do  not  play  ?  " 

This  was  said  in  a  tone  which  conveyed  the  im- 
pression to  Ames  that  Penton  was  extremely  doubt- 
ful whether  his  means  permitted  him  to  play.  He 
added  loftily: 

"  We  play  for  guineas." 

But  just  as  Ames  was  declaring  his  ignorance  of 
bridge,  a  game  ended  and  the  players  rose. 

Penton  made  a  sign  to  one  of  them,  a  tall,  dark, 
handsome  girl,  to  come  to  him. 

"  This  is  Mr.  Ames,"  he  said  to  her,  "  of  whose 
mother  you  have  sometimes  heard  me  speak." 

"  Oh,  yes,  of  course,"  the  young  girl  said  in  a 
careless  manner ;  "  we  must  have  met  when  we  were 
small."  Then,  without  waiting  to  say  more  or  to 
hear  more  about  the  visitor,  she  was  about  to  hurry 
away  again,  when  something  in  Ames'  physiognomy 
made  her  look  at  him  a  second  time.  Ames'  face  was 
worth  a  second  look.  Regular  in  feature,  with  dark 
waved  hair,  dark  blue  eyes,  and  a  skin  made  brown 
by  the  sun  of  Italy,  it  was  a  face  which  could  not 
pass  unnoticed.  For  the  rest,  Ames  was  above  the 
middle  height,  was  well  proportioned,  and  undoubt- 
edly a  type  of  manly  beauty. 

"  Have  you  come  to  stay  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Perhaps." 

She  was  about  to  say  more,  but  a  new  table  had 
been  formed,  and  she  was  called  to  take  a  place  at  it. 


12        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  I  am  afraid  they  will  be  also  wanting  me,"  said 
Penton,  "  so  I  hope  you  will  excuse  me.  You  will 
generally  find  us  in  on  Sunday  afternoons." 

This  was  said  with  an  air  of  nonchalance,  which 
[Ames  did  not  fail  to  notice,  and  with  a  simple  "  thank 
you  "  he  took  leave. 

When  he  reached  the  street  he  hailed  a  han- 
som, gave  to  the  driver  the  next  address  upon  his 
list,  and  reflected  upon  the  visit  he  had  just 
made. 

Evidently  he  was  unwelcome,  or  only  to  be  wel- 
comed when  it  was  ascertained  what  his  circumstances 
were.  Why  did  these  people  hold  so  much  to  wealth? 
Was  it  that  they  lacked  it  in  spite  of  their  apparent 
affluence,  or  was  it  that  they  shrank  from  poverty? 
Well,  he  would  have  time  to  ascertain. 

The  house  at  which  he  next  alighted  was  in  Cad- 
ogan  Place,  a  house  of  moderate  dimensions,  though 
freshly  painted  and  well  kept. 

A  maid  opened  the  door,  and  Ames  inquired  if 
Mrs.  Beauchamp  was  at  home. 

Upon  her  reply  in  the  affirmative,  he  gave  his  name 
and  was  shown  up  to  the  drawing-room. 

Here,  reclining  on  a  sofa,  he  found  a  woman  of 
thirty,  dressed  in  black.  Ip  the  half  light  of  the 
curtained  windows  she  appeared  a  handsome  blonde, 
with  a  full  and  shapely  figure. 

She  looked  with  some  surprise  at  the  unknown  vis- 
itor, but  as  soon  as  he  had  described  himself,  she 
said:  "Of  course  I  know  you.  Please  sit  down. 
Your  mother  used  to  send  me  sweetmeats  when  I  was 
a  little  girl  at  school." 

Ames  felt  that  his  reception  here  was  a  little  better 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         13 

than  at  the  Pentons'.     Perhaps  he  had  lighted  on  a 
future  friend,  if  friends  existed  still. 

For  a  moment  each  surveyed  the  other.  He  asked 
at  length :  "  Your  husband?  " 

But  she  interrupted  him :  "  My  husband  died  two 
years  ago." 

He  looked  at  her  again,  seeking  a  sign  of  sorrow 
on  her  face,  but  seeing  none,  he  professed  his  igno- 
rance of  her  bereavement,  his  regret. 

They  chatted.  "  And  so  you  have  come  back," 
she  said,  "  and  now,  no  doubt,  you  won't  return. 
You  will  take  a  flat  in  town." 

He  said :  "  Is  that  what  you  would  counsel  me 
to  do?" 

"  Yes ;  there  are  some  nice  ones  quite  near  here." 

"  Are  they  cheap  or  dear?  " 

"  Oh,  well,  I  suppose  they're  rather  dear,  but  you 
won't  mind  that  if  they're  really  nice,  I  shouldn't 
think." 

Ames  could  not  repress  a  smile. 

"  I  suppose,"  she  said,  "  you  haven't  anything  to 
do?  No  profession,  nothing  of  that  kind,  I  mean?  " 

Ames  smiled  again. 

"  No,  nothing  of  that  kind." 

"  Dear  me,"  she  said,  with  increasing  interest, 
"  how  you  resemble  a  portrait  of  your  mother  which 
we  used  to  have  at  home ! " 

"  And  you,"  he  answered,  "  how  you  resemble  one 
of  a  Madonna  in  the  gallery  at  Rome." 

She  laughed.    "  You  have  not  seen  me  well." 

But  he  shook  his  head.    No,  no,  he  was  in  earnest. 

"  Do  you  know,"  she  said,  "  I  think  we're  likely 
to  be  friends." 


14         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  /  thought  so  from  the  first !  " 

Then,  as  if  she  had  still  a  final  hesitation,  she  in- 
quired : 

"  And  where  are  you  staying  now  ?  " 

He  told  her,  and  she  said : 

"I  had  a  friend  who  stayed  there  also.  It's  a 
nice  and  quiet  little  place,  I  know." 

Two  ladies  were  announced — the  Misses  Norton- 
Young — and  Ames  observed  them  closely. 

One,  the  elder,  a  handsome  blonde,  was  a  womanish 
girl  of  some  few  years  less  than  thirty,  with  a  whit- 
ened face  and  blue-grey  languid  eyes.  The  other, 
taller  and  slighter,  was  a  dark-haired  beauty  five 
years  younger,  tall  and  well-proportioned.  Both 
were  dressed  with  taste,  better  than  the  widow,  whose 
gown  left  much  to  be  desired. 

Ames  was  introduced,  and  when  they  heard  that 
he  came  from  Florence  they  professed  to  take  a 
sudden  interest  in  him. 

"  From  Florence,"  said  the  elder.  "  I  went  there 
a  few  years  ago,  and  I  was  so  charmed  that  I  wrote 
pages  upon  pages  all  about  it  till  my  editor  would 
have  no  more." 

"  Mr.  Ames,"  said  the  hostess,  "  is  an  artist."  She 
hastened  to  add :  "  Not  a  professional,  you  know." 

"  We  like  artists,"  the  younger  said.  "  Melton 
Thomas  is  a  friend  of  ours."  As  she  spoke,  Ames 
noticed  an  appearance  of  fatigue  upon  her  face — 
the  tired  look  of  late  hours  and  town  life.  They 
talked  of  art,  and  Ames  discovered  that  both  sisters 
had  perceptions  above  the  common  level,  that  their 
conversation,  though  somewhat  affected  now  and 
then,  was  on  the  whole  intelligent.  Nevertheless,  they 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         15 

were  a  species  of  young  girl  which  seemed  to  him 
apart.  There  was  so  little  maidenly  in  their  de- 
meanour. 

Mrs.  Beauchamp  said  to  the  youngest  suddenly : 

"  Sybil,  you  are  not  looking  well  to-day.  I  do 
believe  you've  been  over-smoking." 

Sybil  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  A  packet  in  four  and  twenty  hours.  Surely 
that's  not  much !  " 

But  Mrs.  Beauchamp  shook  her  head. 

"  It  would  be  far  too  much  for  me.  What  does 
your  mother  say?  " 

"  Oh,  mothers  say  nothing  now,  poor  dears." 

There  was  a  laugh,  and  some  fresh  visitors  arrived, 
and  for  some  time  Ames  chatted  with  the  sisters. 
Then  he  took  leave.  Sybil  and  her  sister  Maud  left 
at  the  same  time,  and  in  the  hall  Sybil  said : 

"  On  Sundays  we  receive  the  unconventional  at 
Pembridge  Square.  Will  you  not  come?  " 

"  Assuredly  I  will." 

When  he  left  the  house  he  looked  at  his  watch. 
It  was  only  a  few  minutes  after  five,  and  as  the  next 
house  on  his  list  was  in  Kensington  he  jumped  into 
another  hansom.  On  the  drive  he  thought  of  the 
people  whom  he  had  just  seen.  The  sisters  interested 
him,  because  they  had  not  sought  to  know  his  means ; 
but  perhaps,  when  he  came  to  know  them  better,  their 
unconventionality  would  turn  out  to  be  spurious. 
Well,  it  would  be  amusing  to  find  out ;  Sybil  was  un- 
doubtedly nice-looking. 

The  house  at  which  he  next  stopped  was  a  large 
one  at  Queen's  Gate.  It  was  one  at  which  he  had 
often  heard  his  mother  say  receptions  were  often 


16        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

held,  where  all  the  talent,  all  the  wit  and  beauty  that 
London  had  were  to  be  met.  It  was  a  house  he  felt 
a  certain  curiosity  to  see. 

He  rang  and  asked  a  full-cheeked  butler  if  Lady 
Smeaton  was  at  home. 

The  man  answered  that  her  ladyship  was  in  and 
asked  him  to  enter  a  small  reception-room  on  the 
ground  floor,  inquiring  his  name. 

Thinking  that  his  name  might  be  mispronounced, 
Ames  thought  it  better  to  adopt  the  Continental  way, 
and  gave  his  card.  He  was  not  kept  waiting  long. 
The  butler  came  with  an  altered  air  and  said :  "  Lady 
Smeaton  is  engaged,  sir." 

Ames  repressed  a  smile  and  left. 

They  would  not  receive  him,  that  was  plain.  The 
recollection  of  his  father's  ruin  lingered  still,  and 
they  did  not  even  think  it  worth  the  trouble  to  in- 
quire whether  the  son  was  in  the  same  straits  as  the 
father.  This  was  amusing  and  instructive.  He  won- 
dered what  their  attitude  would  be  when  they  learned 
the  true  state  of  affairs. 

As  it  was  too  late  to  do  more  that  afternoon,  he 
strolled  back  to  his  hotel  through  Piccadilly,  notic- 
ing the  houses  and  wondering  where  he  would  pitch 
his  tent. 

Since  his  income  was  five-and-twenty-thousand,  he 
could  afford  to  choose  a  not  too  modest  habitation, 
but  he  was  quite  resolved  that,  wherever  it  might  be, 
it  must  be  at  some  distance  from  the  turmoil  of  the 
streets.  In  noise  he  could  not  think  with  all  the 
clearness  which  was  needful  for  success.  Therefore, 
he  must  have  a  quiet  residence.  And,  after  all,  he 
was  not  rich.  There  were  many  men  in  London  who 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        17 

were  far  richer  than  he,  and  therefore  he  must  not 
consider  himself  more  powerful  than  in  reality  he 
was.  Nevertheless,  it  was  certain  that  he  was  supe- 
rior in  monetary  strength  to  the  majority  of  men. 

When  he  reached  the  Circus,  as  it  was  still  early, 
he  wandered  down  Waterloo  Place  until  he  reached 
the  Park,  when  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a 
stately  row  of  mansions.  They  pleased  him,  but  un- 
fortunately none  of  these  houses  seemed  to  be  let. 
Perhaps,  however,  one  might  be  for  sale.  This  he 
would  ascertain. 


n 

THREE  weeks  passed,  during  which  Ames  was  busily 
engaged  in  making  himself  familiar  with  the  topog- 
raphy of  London  and  with  its  life,  thinking  it  essen- 
tial to  his  plan  that  he  should  be  well  acquainted  with 
the  place  in  which  his  youth  seemed  destined  to  be 
spent.  He  was  also  in  negotiation  for  a  house  in 
Carlton  Terrace.  He  paid  no  more  visits,  thinking 
that  his  first  experience  had  shown  him  sufficiently 
conclusively  that  a  man  without  a  known  position, 
or,  in  other  words,  an  ascertained  source  of  wealth, 
was  little  better  than  a  cipher  in  the  society  which 
he  had  seen.  Once  or  twice  he  had  been  tempted  to 
call  at  the  Norton-Youngs' ;  but  reflection,  and  the 
perusal  of  a  novel  dealing  with  the  manners  of  so- 
ciety, had  convinced  him  that  he  would  do  better  to 
postpone  his  visit  until  he  was  effectually  placed 
upon  the  pedestal  which  fate  or  luck,  or  whatever 
agency  controls  the  lot  of  men,  had  given  him. 

One  day,  as  he  was  reading  one  of  the  journals 
devoted  exclusively  to  society,  he  chanced  upon  a 
paragraph  relating  to  himself.  It  ran: 

"  London  society  is  about  to  gain  a  recruit  of  sub- 
stance in  the  person  of  Mr.  Ames,  who,  as  next-of- 
kin,  has  succeeded  to  the  estate  of  a  relative  in  Mel- 
bourne, valued  at  a  million.  Mr.  Ames,  we  under- 
stand, was  educated  in  Italy,  where  he  has  resided 
until  now." 

IS 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        19 

A  few  days  after  this,  and  as  a  result  of  it,  he 
thought,  invitations  began  to  pour  upon  him.  Not 
only  were  there  lying  on  his  table  letters  from  Mrs. 
Penton,  the  widow,  and  from  Lady  Smeaton  (the 
latter  excusing  herself  for  having  been  unable  to  re- 
ceive him  when  he  called),  but  the  remainder  of  his 
list  of  friends — those  whom  he  had  left  uninvited — 
had  written  to  him  to  tell  of  their  joy  at  his  return, 
although  it  was  a  mystery  to  him  how  they  had  dis- 
covered his  address.  Ha,  ha!  he  was  of  sufficient 
interest  for  people  to  be  at  pains  to  find  out  where 
he  lived! 

Beside  the  letters  on  his  table  was  the  ground  plan 
of  the  house  he  meant  to  buy  and  a  letter  from 
Winston  informing  him  that  all  was  ready  for  the 
final  stage  in  his  affairs,  and,  what  was  more,  that 
gold  had  been  discovered  on  the  property.  This 
might  be  only  a  mere  spec,  but  the  thing  was  worth 
investigation,  and  Ames  thought,  as  he  read  the  letter 
for  the  second  time :  "  What  if  I  were  some  day 
rich!" 

As  soon  as  the  first  moneys  were  paid  into  his  bank 
Ames  left  his  modest  room  in  Jermyn  Street  and  took 
a  furnished  flat  in  Whitehall  Court  while  the  mansion 
which  he  had  acquired  was  being  rapidly  prepared. 
Then,  when  he  had  drawn  up  a  scheme  of  furnishing 
in  accordance  with  his  taste,  and  with  certain  ends 
which  he  had  in  view,  thinking  that  he  was  now  upon 
a  basis  which  would  postulate  him  suitably,  he  went 
into  the  London  world. 

The  first  invitation  he  accepted  was  the  Smeatons', 
because  he  argued  that  in  an  aristocratic  country 
it  was  vitally  important  to  make  an  entrance  high 


20        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

up  in  the  social  scale.  They  had  behaved  to  him  like 
the  egotists  they  were,  but  since  they  had  made  some 
sort  of  apology,  and  since  they  were  needful  to  his 
social  welfare,  it  would  be  unwise  of  him  to  keep  away 
from  them.  Money  certainly  might  do  much,  but 
perhaps  there  was  still  left  some  proper  pride  which 
not  even  money  could  offend  without  danger  to  that 
social  favour  without  which  the  world,  from  a  certain 
point  of  view,  was  a  somewhat  dreary  place. 

On  the  night  of  the  Smeatons'  dinner,  therefore, 
he  dressed  with  care,  glancing  at  himself  when  he  had 
finished  in  the  long  glass  which  stood  in  a  corner  of 
a  bedroom  hung  with  crimson  silk,  the  bedroom  of 
the  owner,  a  luxurious  mondaine,  who  had  gone  to 
Egypt  to  recruit  her  health. 

A  hansom  took  him  to  Queen's  Gate,  and  as  he 
ascended  the  steps  of  the  portico  a  smile  stole  over 
his  face — a  smile  of  derision,  not  unmingled  with 
contempt. 

The  same  servant  opened  the  door  and  silently  ad- 
mitted him,  relieved  him  of  his  coat  and  hat,  and  led 
the  way  upstairs. 

In  a  large  drawing-room  about  a  dozen  people 
were  assembled.  Most  of  the  ladies  were  seated  on 
a  wide  settee,  and  most  of  the  men  stood  talking  to 
them.  When  Ames  was  announced  there  was  a  slight 
lull  in  the  conversation  and  several  glances  were  di- 
rected to  the  new  arrival.  It  was  evident  that  he 
was  known  and  was  expected,  by  others  than  the 
hosts,  to  be  there  that  night.  A  man  who  appeared 
to  be  past  the  prime  of  life,  followed  by  a  woman  who 
was  considerably  younger,  advanced  towards  Ames. 
The  host's  face  was  neither  more  nor  less  distin- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         21 

guished  than  that  of  the  average  man  of  education. 
His  figure  was  well  preserved  and  his  bearing  digni- 
fied. His  wife,  who  was  superbly  robed  in  roseate 
silk,  struck  Ames  as  being  exceptionally  handsome,  al- 
though he  was  puzzled  to  account  for  her  apparent 
youth,  except  on  the  hypothesis  that  she  was  a  second 
wife. 

It  was  the  host  spoke  first. 

"  Delighted  to  see  you,  Mr.  Ames.  It  is  a  real 
pleasure  for  me  to  welcome  the  son  of  my  old  friend." 

This  was  said  with  the  utmost  cordiality,  in  a 
tone  which  offered  recognition,  patronage,  encour- 
agement. The  hostess  endorsed,  with  emphasis,  her 
husband's  welcome,  looking  at  Ames  with  interest, 
inquiring  how  long  he  had  been  in  England  and  ex- 
pressing her  pleasure  that  he  had  been  able  to  be 
there  that  night. 

Then  she  introduced  him  to  the  greater  number 
of  her  guests,  some  of  whom  remembered  his  name, 
they  said,  and  there  were  among  them  scientists  and 
soldiers  and  leaders  of  society  of  whom  he  had  often 
heard  in  Italy,  so  that  he  became  aware  that  he  was 
in  an  atmosphere  of  talent  and  celebrity.  And 
among  the  ladies,  the  last  to  whom  he  was  conducted, 
and  whom  he  was  asked  to  take  into  dinner,  was,  to 
his  surprise,  Lucy  Penton. 

"  I  need  not  introduce,"  the  hostess  said,  and  Ames 
had  scarcely  taken  a  seat  at  the  side  of  the  young 
girl  when  dinner  was  announced. 

On  the  way  downstairs  Lucy  Penton  said: 

"  You  only  came  to  see  us  once !  " 

"  But  I  have  regretted  ever  since  that  I  could  not 
come  again." 


23        THE  METHODS  OF.  MR.  AMES 

She  said  in  a  tone  of  consideration : 

"  Of  course  just  now  you  must  be  very  busy." 

He  looked  at  her  as  the  strong  light  of  a  lamp 
at  the  foot  of  the  staircase  fell  upon  her,  deciding 
that  she  was  unquestionably  fair. 

"  Yes,  I  am  busy  preparing  to  receive  my  friends." 

"  Somebody  told  me  you  had  taken  a  large  house." 

"  You  shall  judge  of  its  size  when  you  are  my 
guest,  as  I  hope  you  soon  will  be." 

At  table  Ames  was  placed  at  the  right  of  the 
hostess  and  opposite  a  man  who  he  knew  was  a  poli- 
tician as  soon  as  he  heard  his  name. 

The  politician  was  saying  to  a  pale-faced  lady 
next  to  him  who,  Ames  learned  later,  was  a  novelist : 

"  The  question  which  you  ask  me  is  not  difficult 
to  answer.  On  our  side  is  the  greatest  justice,  and 
the  greatest  justice  must  prevail." 

Lady  Smeaton,  hearing  this,  said: 

"  Mr.  Stanley  thinks  that  on  the  Radical  side  is 
the  greatest  virtue.  What  is  your  opinion,  Mr. 
Ames?" 

Thus  appealed  to,  Ames  replied: 

"  The  greatest  virtue  seems  to  me  to  be  upon  the 
side  of  those  who  govern  with  the  greatest  skill,  and 
the  greatest  skill  in  government  appears  to  me  to  be 
the  most  masterly  pursuit  of  the  best  ends." 

The  politician  looked  at  Ames  above  his  glasses. 

"  And  which  do  you  consider  the  best  ends  ?  " 

The  answer  came  at  once: 

"  Those  that  are  the  best  expression  of  the  com- 
mon will." 

**  That  is  a  wide,  an  elastic  principle." 

Ames  smiled.    He  had  wished  to  abstain  from  pro- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         23 

pounding  any  definite  doctrine  and  had  used  a  phrase 
which  seemed  to  him  to  suit  all  purposes. 

The  politician  looked  at  him  with  a  certain  inter- 
est and  Lady  Smeaton  said: 

*'  You  are  an  opportunist,  Mr.  Ames,  I  see." 
And  Ames   contented  himself  with   smiling  once 
again.    Then,  not  wishing  to  embark  upon  a  further 
exposition  of  his  views,  he  addressed  Lucy  Penton: 
"  You  are  not  troubled  by  politics,  I  fancy." 
"I  know  that  we  are  Tories,  and  that's  all." 
"  Why  should  you  know  more  ?  " 
"  No ;  we  women  have  other  things  to  do  ?  " 
"  You  are  busy  brightening  our  lives !  " 
"  I  can  see  you  come  from  Italy." 
"  Therefore,  will  you  not  excuse  me?  " 
"I  don't  mind  a  bit.     Englishmen,  real  English- 
men, I  mean,  so  often  think  it  beneath  their  dignity 
to  say  nice  things.     You — are  so  different.'* 

Ames  thought,  "  She  tries  to  flatter,"  and  replied : 
"  Nice  things  may  be  also  true." 
As  the  dinner  progressed,  Ames  took  a  leading 
part  in  the  conversation,  and  he  noticed  with  amuse- 
ment that  his  opinions  were  listened  to  with  partic- 
ular attention,  although  he  felt  quite  sure  that  if 
any  of  the  listeners  had  been  accused  of  giving  a 
special  hearing  to  a  rich  man  he  would  have  dis- 
played some  virtuous  indignation. 

Even  the  hostess  was  at  pains  to  be  amiable  to 
him,  inquiring  his  tastes  and  excusing  him  from  strict 
obedience  to  fashion  whenever  he  seemed  inclined  to 
be  independent.  Golf  and  bridge  appeared,  however, 
to  be  obligatory,  and  Ames,  knowing  this,  had  al- 
ready engaged  two  good  professionals  to  teach  him 


24        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

the  secrets  of  the  games,  seeing  that  they  were  pass- 
ports to  social  recognition.  He  did  not  know  what 
riches  a  man  must  have  to  be  released  from  the  obli- 
gations they  imposed ;  but  it  seemed  to  him  they  must 
be  vastly  greater  than  those  which  he  possessed. 
Well,  this  was  tyranny ;  but  those  who  submitted  pa- 
tiently to  tyranny  could  one  day  tyrannise  them- 
selves. 

When  the  ladies  left,  Ames  found  himself  still  the 
object  of  attention.  Lord  Smeaton  asked  him  for 
information  as  to  places  of  resort  in  Italy,  but  as  he 
inquired  the  conditions  reigning  in  hotels  of  the  first 
magnitude  which  Ames  had  never  entered,  Ames,  for 
the  first  time  in  the  evening,  found  himself  somewhat 
at  a  loss  for  a  reply.  But  his  host  smoothed  the 
way  for  him.  Of  course  as  a  resident  he  had  not 
lived  in  the  hotels,  only  in  a  villa,  and  when  Ames 
thought  of  his  little  flat  he  could  scarcely  repress  a 
smile.  He  gave  an  evasive  answer,  and  turned  the 
subject  by  asking  Lord  Smeaton  if  he  yachted, 
guessing  that  the  pastime  might  be  beyond  his  means. 
The  answer  was : 
"  No;  do  you  intend  to  yacht?  " 
And  Ames  replied :  "  Oh,  certainly." 
And  then  the  politician  took  an  interest  in  him, 
inquiring  of  him  if  he  intended  to  identify  himself 
with  any  party,  allowing  him  to  understand  that  he 
would  be  happy  to  introduce  him  to  the  leaders  of 
his  own,  and  Ames  answered  that  he  would  reflect, 
and,  generally,  Lord  Smeaton  advertised  him  to  his 
guests  so  that  by  the  time  the  smoke  was  ended  he 
had  become  known  to  several  important  men. 

And  later,  in  the  drawing-room,  he   was   given 


THE  METHODS  OF.  MR.  'AMES         25 

much  attention  by  the  hostess,  who  spoke  to  him  of 
functions  in  perspective  and  suggested  to  him  the 
best  course  to  pursue.  And  then  Penton,  from  whom 
he  had  separated  at  dinner,  came  and  took  him  into 
a  corner  of  the  room  to  ask  him  to  have  lunch  with 
him  next  day  to  meet  an  ambassador,  an  honour 
which  he  declined. 

And  as  the  evening  progressed,  he  spoke  to  many, 
and  always  he  obtained  the  most  encouraging  accueil, 
so  that  when  the  evening  ended  he  felt  that  it  had 
been  successful,  as  successful  as  it  possibly  could  be. 

The  following  week  was  occupied,  almost  entirely, 
in  superintending  the  furnishing  of  his  new  abode, 
which,  with  the  aid  of  a  French  artist,  he  was  trans- 
forming into  a  home  of  many  capabilities. 

On  the  ground  floor  was  the  dining-room,  a  large 
room  furnished  massively  in  chiselled  oak,  and  on  the 
same  floor  a  library,  the  shelves  of  which  were  filled 
exclusively  with  books  of  reference,  lexicons  and 
atlases,  histories  and  manuals  of  science,  so  that 
the  owner  might  at  any  time  be  quickly  able  to  ob- 
tain sound  knowledge,  when  in  ignorance  or  doubt. 
But  on  the  right,  in  the  deep  shadow  of  the  cur- 
tained window,  was  a  volume  bound  in  red,  in  the 
centre  of  which  was  a  small  plate.  This,  when 
pressed,  opened  a  door  in  the  wall  of  books  and  ad- 
mitted to  a  room  furnished  in  Arab  style,  with  wide 
divans  in  deep  recesses  half  screened  by  Moorish 
work.  In  the  centre  of  the  marble  floor  stood  an 
onyx  fountain  and  round  the  room  lay  mats  and 
prayer  carpets  of  fine  texture.  As  the  room  had  been 
built  out  into  the  garden,  the  daylight  entered  it 
by  a  domed  roof  with  stained-glass  windows  and 


26        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

arabesques.  Around  the  base  a  skilfully  intertwined 
inscription  ran :  "  Saj  to  the  man  who  hath  trouble 
that  trouble  doth  not  linger.  Just  as  joy  vanisheth, 
so  vanisheth  also  sorrow."  Around  the  room  were 
octagonal  inlaid  tables  and  from  the  centre  of  the 
dome  hung  a  large  brass  Moorish  lamp.  The  only 
entrance  to  the  room  was  through  the  bookcase  door, 
but  on  one  side  of  it,  in  the  wall  behind  a  gold  em- 
broidered hanging,  was  a  door  which  led  into  a  some- 
what small  but  luxuriously  furnished  chamber.  The 
room  could  be  used  as  a  studio  by  sliding  away  the 
red  panels  of  the  dome  and  admitting  the  light 
through  the  white  glass  behind  it. 

In  addition  to  this,  on  the  ground  floor  of  the 
house,  was  a  species  of  reception-room  with  a  pol- 
ished parquet  floor,  thickly  curtained  windows,  and 
a  few  arm-chairs  and  sofas.  On  the  first  floor  was 
the  large,  square  drawing-room,  on  which  the  deco- 
rators, unrestricted  as  to  cost,  had  lavished  all  their 
skill.  Ames  had  not  interfered  with  them  in  this, 
except  in  the  choice  of  the  Aubusson  carpet;  and 
the  room  was  not  only  a  model  of  First  Empire  fur- 
nishing, but,  by  the  addition  of  cushions  and  knick- 
knacks,  it  had  been  made  to  seem  as  though  a  woman 
had  had  a  hand  in  its  arrangement.  Although  it  was 
a  bachelor's,  there  was  nothing  in  the  room  to  indi- 
cate the  fact. 

On  the  next  floor,  to  which  access  was  obtained 
by  an  electric  lift,  was  a  bedroom  almost  equal  in 
size  to  the  drawing-room,  and  sumptuous  with  a 
carved  oak  bedstead,  lounges,  secretaires  and  presses. 
This  room  communicated  with  another  which  was 
fitted  as  a  parlour,  and  was  known  as  the  red  room 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        27 

by  reason  of  the  exclusive  use  of  red  which  had  been 
made  in  its  decoration.  It,  in  turn,  communicated 
with  another,  called  the  blue  room,  painted  and  fur- 
nished entirely  in  blue,  and  each  of  these  rooms  had 
doors  which  opened  on  to  the  landing.  On  the  floor 
above  were  a  series  of  bedrooms  and  small  sitting- 
rooms,  and  which  in  a  sense  constituted  a  separate 
flat. 

They  were  designed  for  guest  rooms,  but  Ames 
had  by  no  means  yet  decided  to  devote  them  to  his 
friends,  especially  as  he  had  no  intention  of  receiv- 
ing visitors  to  stay.  Above  this  were  the  servants' 
rooms,  and  a  second  studio  built  out  upon  the  roof. 
Throughout  the  house  the  thickest  felt  had  been 
placed  beneath  the  carpets,  so  that  the  noise  of  foot- 
steps was  inaudible.  Sand,  also,  had  been  laid  be- 
tween the  floors,  so  that  no  sounds  should  pass  from 
one  room  to  another,  and  in  order  that  no  music 
should  be  heard  from  the  adjoining  house  the  wall 
of  partition  had  at  great  expense  been  specially 
treated  and  prepared.  From  the  other  walls  no  such 
sounds  could  proceed,  since  the  house  was  at  the 
corner  of  the  street.  As  far  as  is  possible  in  London, 
silence  was  assured.  The  engagement  of  the  servants 
was  no  easy  matter.  Ames  wanted  a  good  chef,  but 
as  all  the  best  in  London  were  retained  he  was  obliged 
to  content  himself  with  the  pupil  of  a  "  master,"  who 
was  said  to  be  a  promising  vatel.  For  his  valet  he 
engaged  a  Roman,  the  servant  of  an  Italian  count, 
who  had  lived  some  time  in  England,  because  he 
found  him  gifted  with  quick  perceptions,  and  for 
the  additional  reason  that  he  spoke  both  French  and 
English  well.  He  gave  him  high  wages,  but  he 


28         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

warned  him  that  he  would  expect  from  him  unwaver- 
ing fidelity  and  absolute  discretion.  For  a  time  he 
hesitated  as  to  whether  he  should  engage  a  house- 
keeper, but  on  reflection  he  decided  that  the  presence 
of  an  elderly  and  probably  censorious  female  in  the 
house  would  not  be  to  his  taste.  The  government  of 
the  household,  he  resolved,  was  to  be  entrusted  to  his 
secretary,  who,  however,  was  to  dwell  outside. 

The  choice  of  this  secretary  also  gave  him  some 
little  trouble.  He  had  deemed  that  such  a  person 
was  essential  to  his  comfort  to  relieve  him  of  nerve- 
impairing  correspondence;  and  he  knew  quite  well 
that,  in  the  eyes  of  a  reverential  world,  the  possession 
of  a  private  scribe  would  increase  his  prestige 
greatly. 

An  advertisement  in  The  Times  had  brought  him 
the  usually  large  number  of  replies,  from  which  he 
had  selected  six  as  worthy  of  attention ;  and  on  the 
day  before  he  took  up  residence  in  Carlton  Terrace 
he  set  aside  the  morning  to  receive  the  applicants. 
Some  of  these  were  too  old,  some  too  uncongenial, 
others  were  scarcely  qualified,  or  possessed  creden- 
tials which  did  not  seem  authentic,  but  the  last  to 
call  was  the  man  who  appeared  best  fitted  for  the 
post. 

As  he  came  into  the  room,  Ames  scanned  him  nar- 
rowly. A  thin  though  well-built  man  of  some  forty 
years,  with  grey  eyes,  a  well-shaped  forehead,  and  a 
face  of  the  medallion  type,  his  outward  aspect  was 
distinctly  in  his  favour.  He  was  dressed  with  neat- 
ness, also,  and  with  a  sobriety  which  was  quite  con- 
sistent with  the  post  he  sought. 

Ames  glanced  from  the  credentials  and  diplomas 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         29 

which  the  applicant  had  handed  silently  to  him,  to 
the  applicant  himself,  and  vice  versa,  judging  both. 
He  said  at  length : 

"  You  graduated  in  London,  Mr.  Sims ;  you  have 
edited  a  paper,  and  are  the  author  of  a  book,  yet 
you  seek  the  post  of  secretary  to  me.  Pray,  why?" 

"  The  paper  failed,  the  book  was  not  successful." 

"  Could  you  not  try  again  ?  " 

"I  cannot  wait." 

"  You  are  engaged.  The  post  is  not  one  which  de- 
mands much  mental  effort.  But  it  requires  tact. 
We  shall  see  if  you  possess  it.  Good-bye,  and  come 
to  me  at  Carlton  Terrace  at  ten  o'clock  to-morrow." 
Ames  waved  his  hand  as  a  sign  that  the  interview 
was  over. 

Sims  withdrew  with  a  pleased,  thought  somewhat 
puzzled,  air,  Now  that  his  foot  was,  as  he  called  it, 
in  the  stirrup,  it  was  no  part  of  Ames'  intention  to 
waste  time.  The  season  was  advancing  and  there  was 
yet  much  to  do  to  make  himself  completely  comfort- 
able. Therefore,  as  soon  as  he  had  given  a  few 
indications  of  his  habits  to  the  servants,  and  espe- 
cially to  the  cook,  who  spoke  to  him  deferentially  in 
the  third  person,  and  who  showed  him  a  packet  of 
menus  illustrative  of  his  culinary  skill,  he  sent  a  tele- 
gram accepting  a  very  pressing  invitation  from  the 
widow  to  dine  with  her  that  evening.  After  this  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  the  afternoon  in  a  visit  to 
his  tailor  and  in  buying  some  bronze  ornaments  which 
were  needed,  he  considered,  for  the  completion  of  his 
home. 

Mrs.  Beauchamp  received  him  alone  in  a  little 
boudoir  adjoining  the  drawing-room  in  which  he  had 


30         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

seen  her  first,  and  it  struck  him,  as  he  entered,  that 
she  and  the  little  room  were  both  draped  in  rose  silk. 

"  You  have  come  at  last,"  she  said.  "  I  had  al- 
most begun  to  think  it  was  a  parti  pris!  " 

He  took  a  seat  upon  the  sofa  at  her  side,  observ- 
ing the  elaborateness  of  her  costume,  the  care  with 
which  her  hair  had  been  arranged. 

"  The  only  decision  I  had  taken,"  he  replied,  "  was 
to  come  to  you  as  soon  as  I  had  a  moment  free." 

"  A  moment  free !  As  if  a  man  like  you  is  not  the 
master  of  his  time ! " 

"  But  I  have,  in  a  sense,  been  working,  so  that 
when  you  come  to  see  me  you  should  find  my  dwelling 
to  your  taste !  " 

She  said  in  an  admirative  tone: 

"  I  hear  it  is  magnificent !  " 

Ames  shook  his  head. 

She  said : 

"  I  have  no  one  to  meet  you.  A  young  couple 
whom  I  think  you  would  have  liked  just  telephoned 
to  say  they  cannot  come.  I  am  so  sorry." 

"  But  7  am  not  sorry." 

She  gave  him  a  side  glance :    "  Why  ?  " 

"  Because  alone  we  can  get  to  know  each  other 
better." 

"  Do  you  not  know  me  yet?  " 

"  Not  yet." 

"  I'm  not  so  enigmatic." 

Ames  thought:    "  That's  true."    He  said: 

"  Are  not  all  women  enigmatic  ?  " 

"  No,  not  to  men  like  you." 

"  You  credit  me  with  too  much  penetration." 

"  There's  penetration  in  your  eyes." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         31 

Ames  laughed. 

"  Eyes  frequently  deceive !  " 

The  maid  announced  the  dinner  and  they  passed 
into  the  dining-room,  in  entering  which  Ames'  at- 
tention was  struck  by  a  marble  bust  which  stood 
upon  a  pedestal  in  the  large  bay  window. 

"  Doubtless,"  he  thought,  "  that  noble  Roman  is 
her  husband  " ;  but  he  did  not  ask,  thinking  that  she 
might  talk  too  long  upon  the  subject  if  it  was  once 
raised  and  having  a  dislike  to  listen  to  the  conjugal 
reminiscences  of  widows. 

They  spoke  of  generalities  at  first,  Ames  wonder- 
ing how  long  she  would  delay  the  attack  which  he 
felt  was  imminent. 

She  said  at  length: 

"  How  happy  you  must  be !  " 

"Happy?" 

"  With  all  that  wealth !  If  I  were  rich,  I  feel  that 
life  would  be  a  fete." 

"  It  must  be  one  already.  You  have  good  health, 
and,  if  I  may  say  so — beauty.  What  more  can  a 
woman  want  ?  " 

"  A  woman  brought  up  as  I  have  been  requires  two 
things — sympathy  and  a  certain  luxury — to  relieve 
life  of  its  stodginess !  " 

"  Sympathy  you  cannot  fail  to  have ;  luxury  is 
certainly  your  due." 

"  How  blandly  you  say  that !  " 

Ames  thought :  "  She  would  like  me  to  say  it  con 
amore." 

"  I  speak,"  he  said,  "  with  absolute  conviction," 
which  committed  him  to  nothing. 

The  dinner  was  over. 


32        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES 

"  If  you  like,"  she  said,  "  we'll  have  the  coffee  up 
there  in  my  room." 

They  left  the  dining-room,  and  the  coffee  was 
served  them  in  the  small  boudoir. 

"  I  suppose,"  she  said,  as  she  leaned  back  on  the 
couch,  "  the  women  are  spoiling  you  already  ?  " 

He  gazed  at  her. 

"  I  should  like  to  be  spoiled  by  you!  " 

This  pleased  her,  for  she  said  in  a  softened  tone: 

"  And  I  by  you." 

This  was  maladroit,  for  it  brought  back  his  in- 
stinctive caution,  which  under  the  influence  of  her 
attractions  he  had  somewhat  relaxed.  She  seemed  to 
offer  herself  too  openly  to  be  taken,  fed,  pampered, 
and  amused. 

Nevertheless  he  said,  with  assumed  enthusiasm: 

"  We  have  known  each  other  such  a  little  time, 
and  yet  I  ask  myself  what  is  there  that  I  would  not 
do  to  make  you  happy." 

Her  eyes  beamed,  and  he  continued: 

"  When  I  first  saw  you  I  felt  that  we  should  be 
friends." 

"  Yes,  friends,"  she  said,  with  an  air  which  seemed 
to  say :  "  I  should  think  we  might  be  more." 

"  The  time  of  my  coming  coincided  so  .aptly  with 
the  period  of  your  loneliness  that  it  seemed  as  though 
fate  had  arranged  it  all." 

A  servant  entered,  handed  a  letter  to  her  mistress, 
and  withdrew.  Mrs.  Beauchamp  glanced  at  the  hand- 
writing and  turned  pale. 

"  Will  you  excuse  me? "  she  asked  as  she  broke 
the  seal. 

The  contents  of  the  letter  seemed  to  throw  her 
into  still  greater  perturbation,  for  she  rose  and 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        33 

went  up  to  the  mantel,  against  which  she  leaned, 
*»  while  the  letter  dropped  from  between  her  fingers. 

"Why  are  you  so  silent?"  he  asked  presently. 
,  *'  Have  you  had  bad  news  ?  " 

"  Calamitous ! " 

"  Will  you  not  confide  in  me?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

But  he  insisted: 

"  Tell  me  what  trouble  that  bit  of  paper  brings." 

She  took  up  the  letter  and  handed  it  to  him. 

"  I  know  I  may  have  confidence  in  you." 

He  read  the  letter,  which  ran  thus: 

"  MADAM, — On  behalf  of  our  clients,  Messrs.  Sims 
&  Grove  of  Bond  Street,  we  beg  to  inform  you  that 
unless  their  account  for  millinery,  amounting  to  £134 
18s.  3d.,  be  settled  before  the  end  of  the  present 
week,  we  shall  commence  proceedings  against  you 
for  recovery.  Yours  truly,  WILCOX  &  BROWN." 

Ames  said :  "  If  you  will  let  me  be  your  banker 
the  little  bill  will  be  settled  not  later  than  to-morrow 
morn." 

"  Oh,"  she  said,  with  unfeigned  delight,  "  how 
kind,  how  truly  kind  of  you !  But  could  I,  how  could 
I  accept?  What  would  you  think  of  me?  What 
should  I  think  of  myself?  " 

"  I  should  think  of  you  as  a  friend  whom  it  had 
been  my  good  fortune  to  be  able  to  assist,  and  you 
would  think  of  yourself  as  a  friend  who  was  nat- 
urally entitled  to  the  little  service." 

"  Oh,"  she  cried  again,  "  you  are  so  delicate,  so 
generous.  I  feel  I  could  almost  kiss  you." 

He  made  a  sign  to  her  to  resume  her  place  upon 


34         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

the  sofa,  and  when  she  had  done  so  he  said  com- 
posedly : 

"  I  pray  you,  do  not  restrain  that  happy  inclina- 
tion." 

And  after  playing  a  moment's  hesitation  she  kissed 
him  on  his  cheek. 

"  What  will  you  think  of  me?  "  she  cried.  "  What 
will  you  think  of  me?  I  assure  you  I  have  always 
led  a  decent  life !  " 

He  smiled,  computing  the  conflict  of  motives 
which  she  was  then  experiencing,  perceiving  how 
afraid  she  was  lest  she  had  spoiled  her  matrimonial 
chances  by  this  monetary  obligation. 

What  should  he  do  with  her?  Make  her  his  mis- 
tress, as  it  would  be  easy  to  do  in  her  dependent 
state?  No,  no ;  that  would  commit  him  far  too  much. 
It  was  easy  to  form  a  tie  of  that  description,  but 
difficult  to  break  it,  and  at  the  outset  of  his  career 
the  prospect  of  such  a  liaison  did  not  seem  to  him 
attractive.  To  make  her  his  wife  never  for  a  mo- 
ment crossed  his  mind.  From  the  matrimonial  point 
of  view,  widows  appeared  to  him  too  second-hand. 

Thinking  that  he  had  been  there  long  enough  he 
rose,  and  as  he  did  so  a  look  of  deep  concern  be- 
trayed itself  upon  her  face. 

"  You  are  not  going?  " 

"  Alas,  I  must." 

"  Someone  awaits  you?  " 

"Yes." 

"Already!" 

Ames  burst  out  laughing. 

"  None  of  any  consequence,  but  some  letters  of 
much." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         35 

"  Is  it  true  that  you  are  going  to  stand  for  Shad- 
ley?  " 

"  Perhaps." 

"  How  I  shall  watch  your  progress !  How  I  shall 
long  to  see  you  in ! " 

"  If  I  succeed,  my  success  will  be  in  a  large  share 
due  to  your  encouragement." 

She  sighed. 

"  I  am  never  quite  sure  that  you  are  in  earnest." 

There  was  so  much  sincerity  in  the  tone  in  which 
she  said  this  that  Ames  looked  at  her  a  moment  with 
more  consideration. 

As  though  she  had  guessed  that  she  had  made  a 
more  favourable  impression,  she  continued: 

"  Wait  till  you  know  me  better.  You  will  believe 
in  me  much  more  than  you  do  now." 

But  Ames  held  out  his  hand. 

"  Good-night." 

As  she  said  good-night,  she  murmured :  "  It's  only 
a  loan,  you  know." 

And  he  replied : 

"  It's  whatever  you  wish  that  it  should  be ! " 

When  he  reached  his  flat,  a  friend  was  awaiting 
him,  a  young  man  of  about  his  age  whom  he  had 
known  in  Italy  and  whom  he  had  met  by  accident  in 
Piccadilly. 

"  Morgan,  I'm  glad  to  see  you,  but  I'm  busy.  I 
must  write  letters,  Morgan,  in  time  for  the  midnight 
post." 

"  Oh,  don't  mind  me.  Of  what  importance  is  a 
man  with  nothing  to  do,  and  little  to  spend,  out 
of  whose  meagre  pittance  the  Government  exacts  its 
due." 


36        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Certainly,  Morgan,  you'll  never  be  of  much  im- 
portance if  you  talk  like  that.  Why  don't  you  marry 
and  increase  your  wealth?  " 

"  Where  is  the  moneyed  girl  who  would  consent?  " 

"  I  shall  look  one  out." 

"  Ames,  you  are  a  king.  You  can  control  the  fate 
of  others.  Happy  man ! " 

"You  know  the  Pentons.  What  do  you  say  to 
Lucy?" 

"  Not  a  penny  of  her  own.    All  show." 

"  Well  then,  come  to  me  a  little  later  on." 

"  Ames,  you  would  do  me  a  great  kindness.  I 
don't  want  to  spend  my  life  in  solitude.  Yet  the 
years  are  going  and  I  find  no  mate." 

But  Ames  had  begun  his  correspondence  and  was 
scarcely  listening.  Presently  the  servant  entered: 

"  A  lady  has  come  to  see  you,  sir,  and  is  waiting 
in  the  hall." 

Ames  rose  and  went  out  of  the  room,  finding  in 
the  ante-chamber  a  heavily  veiled  lady  in  a  black 
silk  cloak.  As  soon  as  she  lifted  her  veil  he  recog- 
nised the  pretty  features  of  an  actress  to  whom  he 
had  been  introduced  a  few  days  previously  at  an 
actors'  club. 

"  You  asked  me  to  come  and  see  you,"  she  said, 
"  and  here  I  am.  I'm  rather  late,  but  I  could  not 
leave  the  theatre  sooner." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Ames,  "  I  remember  well.  I  re- 
member the  talk  we  had  and  how  much  I  enjoyed  it. 
How  good  of  you  to  come  and  see  me,  you,  whose  face 
must  bring  you  numbers  of  intense  admirers.  But 
I  am  sad.  I  have  a  letter  to  compose  which  will  keep 
me  up  all  night.  I  cannot  give  you  the — attention 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         37 

— you  deserve.  In  my  room  there  is  a  man  athirst 
for  woman's  sympathy.  I  shall  introduce  you  and 
you  will  soon  be  friends." 

But  the  lady  became  angry. 

"  Thanks,  if  you  cannot  spare  the  time  I'll  go.  I 
can't  think  how  I  came." 

Ames  thought :  "  I  can.  You  came  because  you 
heard  of  the  dear  legacy." 

He  took  her  arm. 

"  Do  not  oppose  the  way  of  things.  Be  reason- 
able, be  sociable." 

He  led  her,  half  pacified,  into  the  room. 

"  Here,  dear  Morgan,  is  a  lady  of  much  charm. 
Miss  Dora  Devereux  lives  not  far  from  you,  and  I 
beg  that  you  will  see  her  home.  Good-night,  good- 
night." So  saying,  he  bowed  them  out. 

When  the  door  was  closed  he  lit  a  cigarette  and 
reflected  for  a  few  moments.  He  had  resisted  two 
temptations.  Why?  Because  he  had  foreseen  that 
if  he  yielded  to  the  first  he  would  be  hampered,  and 
secondly,  because  he  desired  to  give  himself  a  lesson 
in  self-restraint. 

And  although  he  felt  a  vague  sense  of  frustration, 
yet  he  was  pleased  with  himself,  thinking  he  had 
acted  with  virtH. 

He  spent  two  hours  writing  a  letter  to  a  Welsh- 
man in  South  Wales  of  whose  skill  as  an  election 
agent  he  had  heard  much  praise,  and  when  he  had 
finished  he  went  to  bed  and  slept  composedly. 

The  next  morning  he  took  up  his  residence  at 
Carlton  Terrace,  and  was  in  his  study  when  his  sec- 
retary arrived. 

"  Mr.  Sims,  here  is  a  cheque  which  you  will  please 


38         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

cash  at  the  bank.  Then  with  the  proceeds  you  will 
go  and  pay  this  bill." 

He  handed  Sims  Mrs.  Beauchamp's  bill  and  cheque. 

"  And  mind,  Mr.  Sims,  not  a  word  of  the  source 
from  whence  the  payment  comes — not  a  syllable, 
But  obtain  a  stamped  receipt." 

"  Good,"  said  Sims.  "  I  shall  carry  out  your  in- 
structions to  the  letter." 

"  That  is  as  I  like  them  carried  out.  And  when 
you  return  you  will  write  to  the  people  on  this  list 
and  invite  them  here  to  dinner  on  the  twenty-fifth." 

Sims  took  the  list  and  placed  it  in  his  pocket. 

"As  soon  as  I  return  I  shall  attend  to  it." 

Ames  spent  the  morning  roaming  about  his  house, 
giving  a  final  coup  d'ceil  to  the  decorations,  making, 
with  the  aid  of  the  servants,  some  slight  alterations. 
But  when  he  had  finished  and  sat  down  to  lunch  in 
his  sumptuous  dining-room,  he  could  not  help  con- 
fessing to  himself  that  he  felt  dull.  The  weather  with- 
out was  grey,  the  sky  was  a  mere  disc.  It  seemed  as 
though  a  panoply  hung  over  London.  Ames  was  de- 
cidedly morose.  But  he  reasoned  with  himself.  What 
was  a  single  day  in  the  six-and-twenty  thousand  of 
which  life  was  commonly  composed?  The  next  day 
would  be  better  than  the  present  one,  perhaps,  and  if 
it  was  not,  then  one  really  must  expect  to  suffer  in  a 
life  which  in  the  best  of  circumstances  was  undoubt- 
edly a  very  imperfect  state. 

He  had  many  projects,  too,  on  hand,  and  they 
would  take  his  thoughts  away,  he  hoped,  from  the 
drabness  of  existence  on  such  days  as  this.  During 
the  time  that  intervened  before  his  dinner,  he  lunched 
much  at  clubs,  was  put  down  by  Penton  for  his  own, 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        89 

and  while  he  was  waiting  to  enter  it,  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Berkshire,  which,  in  want  of  members,  ac- 
cepted him  at  once.  And  at  length  he  decided  he 
would  visit  the  Norton- Youngs. 

He  found  them  at  home  on  a  Sunday  afternoon,  in 
the  modest  house  in  a  cul-de-sac  in  Kensington.  He 
was  shown  through  the  hall  into  a  large  room  which, 
being  on  the  level  of  the  basement,  was  reached  by 
a  flight  of  stairs  from  the  hall  floor.  The  room 
resembled  in  some  respects  a  studio.  The  rugs  and 
divans  were  placed  in  irregular  order.  There  were 
recesses  and  curtained  nooks.  An  easel  stood  in  one 
corner  and  in  another  a  grand  piano.  There  were 
tables  with  books  and  tea. 

As  he  walked  down  the  flight  of  stairs,  Sybil,  at- 
tired in  a  black  gauze  dress  with  short  sleeves,  show- 
ing her  well-shaped  arms,  rose  to  greet  him,  followed 
by  her  sister  Maud.  They  welcomed  him  as  though 
he  had  been  an  old  friend  and  introduced  him  to  two 
visitors,  a  tall  and  broad-faced  Irishman  named 
Bryan,  a  dramatic  critic,  and  a  thin  and  pale-faced 
man  of  five-and-twenty,  Arthur  Bently,  the  famous 
drawer  in  black  and  white,  whose  art  was,  in  Ames' 
opinion,  of  a  degraded  character.  It  was  evident  to 
Ames  from  the  first  that  he  was  in  a  society  of  a 
somewhat  latitudinarian  class,  where  money  was  per- 
haps not  quite  everything,  a  society  which  valued 
talent  most,  and  although  he  told  himself  that  talent 
had  its  equivalent  in  money,  and  was  often  solely 
valued  for  the  money  it  procured,  still  there  was  a 
difference  between  these  people  and  some  of  those 
whom  he  had  met  of  late. 

All  were  smoking  cigarettes,  except  Maud,  who 


40        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

was  smoking  a  short  cigar  while  sipping  a  liqueur 
in  a  small  red  glass. 

As  she  saw  that  Ames  observed  her,  she  said  with 
a  quiet  smile: 

"  Don't  be  alarmed.  It's  a  habit  I  acquired  in 
Vienna." 

Ames  said: 

"I  am  not  alarmed.  Cigars  and  cigarettes  are 
made  from  the  same  plant." 

Maud  threw  herself  back  on  the  divan  and  puffed, 
while  Sybil  observed  Ames  attentively. 

The  conversation  which  had  been  in  progress  when 
Ames  entered  was  resumed. 

Bryan  was  saying: 

"  No,  there  is  a  comical  dearth  of  brains  among 
the  playwrights.  For  myself,  I  shall  contract  an 
illness  if  I  have  to  sit  out  many  of  the  dreary  things 
they  put  before  us  now.  I  wonder  that  the  public 
can  be  found  to  pay  for  seats." 

The  draughtsman  said: 

"It's  wonderful." 

"  What  do  you  think,  Mr.  Ames  ?  "  Maud  asked. 

"  I  think  that  the  public  being  a  product  of  the 
nation,  just  as  is  the  dramatist,  the  one  is  suited  to 
the  other." 

"  That,"  said  Sybil,  "  is  severe  on  our  British 
taste." 

"British  taste  in  some  things  is  infallible,"  said 
[Ames. 

"  But  not  in  art? "  asked  Maud,  with  a  heavy 
smile. 

Ames,  however,  had  suddenly  become  interested  in 
a  Persian  cat  who  was  displaying  herself  upon  a 
rug,  and  he  made  no  answer  to  the  question. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         41 

"  Is  this  gentleman  not  English  ?  "  inquired  the 
artist  with  a  frown. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Sybil,  "  but  Italianised." 

"  A  beauty,"  Ames  exclaimed  to  Maud,  as  he 
stroked  the  cat. 

"  Yes,"  she  said.     "  I  love  him  as  my  life !  " 

"  A  little  more,"  the  critic  interposed,  exchanging 
glances  with  the  elder  sister. 

Ames  turned  from  the  cat  and  sat  back  in  his 
chair,  observing  Maud  and  Bryan  and  conjecturing. 
Suddenly  he  perceived  the  deep  brown  orbs  of  Sybil 
fixed  upon  him  and  he  rose  and  took  a  chair  that  was 
nearer  to  her  so  that  he  was  on  her  left  while  the 
artist  was  on  her  right. 

"  You  think  me  a  barbarian,"  he  said,  "  but  no,  I 
am  not  that.  When  I  came  into  your  charming 
home,  into  this  cultured  atmosphere,  I  felt  that  I 
was  glad  to  be  in  England." 

"  Yes,  but,"  said  Sybil,  "  we  are  accused  of  being 
much  too  uncontinental." 

"  If  there  were  more  like  you,  how  bright  this 
London  would  appear !  " 

Sybil  smiled  indulgently,  and  as  he  looked  at  her 
sitting  with  her  legs  crossed,  leaning  back  slightly  in 
her  chair,  he  made  up  his  mind  that  she  was  a  richly 
seductive  type  of  womanhood,  a  very  brilliant 
specimen. 

The  artist  said:  « 

"  The  world  is  becoming  cosmopolitan,  and  yet  in 
art  there  is,  and  always  will  be,  nationality.  We 
express  the  fatherland  in  every  stroke  we  make. 
Turner  expressed  London  as  no  foreign  artist  ever 
could  have  done.  Foreign  critics  say  that  in  the 
little  things  I  draw  I  am  distinctly  insular." 


43        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  are,"  said  Sybil.  "  You  even  stand 
indeed  on  an  island  by  yourself ! " 

Bently  looked  at  her  somewhat  suspiciously,  as 
though  uncertain  whether  the  remark  was  made  in 
jest  or  earnest. 

Ames  said: 

"  Do  we  not  all  stand  on  islands  ?  the  island  of  our 
personality,  of  our  self-esteem,  the  island  of  our  I's? 
How  can  any  one  of  us  completely  realise  the  other? 
And  it  is  well  we  cannot,  for  if  we  could  there  would 
be  an  end  of  the  misunderstandings  which  give  inter- 
est to  life.  I  prefer  to  live,  I  think,  in  an  imperfect 
rather  than  in  a  perfect  world." 

"  I  also,"  Sybil  said.  "  I  don't  care  for  perfec- 
tion." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Bently,  "  familiarity,  in  your 
case,  breeds  contempt." 

She  answered  with  a  frown: 

"  You  know  I  don't  like  compliments.  If  I  were 
perfect  I  should  be — as  I'm  not." 

"  If  you  were  not  as  you  are,"  said  Ames,  "  it 
would  be  a  pity." 

"  Now,  that's  the  kind  of  compliment  I  like,"  she 
said,  turning  to  the  artist. 

"  I  see,"  he  said,  with  something  of  offended  pride. 
"I  shall  remember  for  another  time.  Now,  I  must 
say  good-bye." 

He  left,  and  Ames  and  Sybil  were  alone,  Bryan 
and  Maud  having  withdrawn  to  the  recess  at  the 
extreme  end  of  the  room. 

"  I'm  glad  you  came  this  afternoon,"  she  said.  "  I 
was  feeling  nervish,  and  you've  done  me  good.  Now 
tell  me  all  about  yourself,  your  tastes,  and  aims." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         43 

"  My  tastes  ?  I  like  the  things  you  like.  My 
aims?  In  process  of  formation." 

"  What  an  unusual  man  you  are !  " 

"  Have  I  the  misfortune  to  displease  you?  " 

"  No." 

"  When  first  I  saw  you  at  Mrs.  Beauchamp's 
house,"  Ames  said,  "  I  judged  that  your  perceptions 
were  of  a  higher  order,  your  senses  delicate,  refined. 
And  as  I  look  at  you  I  see  that  I  was  right.  Your 
nerves  respond  to  the  slightest  stimulus,  your  emo- 
tions are  intense,  your  tastes  eclectic ;  you  belong  to 
the  aristocracy  of  Nature." 

She  answered: 

"  You  seem  to  know  me  better  than  I  know  my- 
self." 

"  Do  you  think  we  shall  become  friends  ?  " 

"  Why  not  ?  There's  only  one  thing  about  you 
that  I  don't  quite  like.  You  seem  to  have  abandoned 
painting.  Why  ?  " 

"  Because  I  have  grown  lazy." 

"  And  so  have  I.  People  have  taken  me  out  into 
the  world  of  brilliant  laziness  and  I  have  no  longer 
the  inclination  to  take  up  a  brush.  Some  day,  I  tell 
myself,  I  shall  return  to  my  old  loves;  but  that  day 
never  comes." 

« It  never  will." 

*'  How  do  you  know?  " 

"  Because  you  have  joined  those  who  never  toil  or 
spin  and  the  example  is  contagious." 

"No,  they  live  but  to  enjoy.  And  yet  they  are 
always  at  the  head  of  things," 

"  Yes,  always." 

She  said: 


44        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  You  will  stay  to  dinner,  won't  you?  My  mother 
will  be  there!" 

But  he,  not  wishing  to  inf eodate  himself,  declined, 
giving  as  a  pretext  an  engagement  at  his  club.  He 
did  not  know  before  that  she  possessed  a  mother,  and 
on  the  whole  he  was  not  quite  sure  that  he  was  glad 
to  learn  the  fact.  Mothers  were  matrimonially  coer- 
cive, and  he  did  not  want  to  be  coerced.  Nevertheless 
she  was  excessively  attractive,  and  he  said : 

"  During  the  season  you  have  plenty  of  engage- 
ments, naturally  ?  " 

She  smiled. 

"  Well,  even  the  prince  invites  me  now." 

"  Oh,  then  your  prospects  are  extensive !  " 

"  They  would  be  were  I  other  than  I  am." 

"  Being  as  you  are,  I  hope  that  you  will  come  to 
my  receptions  later  on." 

She  said  disappointedly : 

"  Well,  of  course,  if  you  invite  me  I  shall  come, 
if  I  am  free." 

"  If  I  knew  when  you  were  free,  I  should  arrange 
my  dates  to  coincide." 

She  acknowledged  this  with  a  shake  of  her  head 
of  dubious  meaning. 

"  Come  again  when  you  like,  I  shall  be  glad  to  see 
you." 

This  was  said  with  a  little  condescension,  and 
upon  this  Ames  took  leave. 

The  invitations  to  the  first  dinner  party  at  Carl- 
ton  Terrace  were  all  accepted,  and  when  the  night 
arrived  all  those  who  had  accepted  them  arrived. 
Ames,  alone,  received  them  in  his  drawing-room. 
They  were  what  he  designated  in  his  mind  as  a  first 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         45 

provisional  muster,  inasmuch  as  they  were  the  best 
he  could  procure  from  the  circle  of  acquaintance 
which  he  had  had  time  to  form.  The  Pentons  came  in 
force,  as  well  as  a  Member  to  whom  they  had  intro- 
duced him  and  who  was  to  support  his  candidature 
later  on.  There  were  some  of  the  leading  bachelors 
of  his  club,  an  Italian  professor  and  his  wife  who 
were  at  that  moment  spending  a  month  in  London, 
and,  in  addition  to  others  of  minor  social  value,  there 
were  the  Smeatons,  who,  in  Ames'  opinion,  were  the 
most  important  people  of  the  evening.  Mrs.  Beau- 
champ  he  had  omitted.  She  was  a  debtor,  and  for 
all  he  knew  might  not  only  be  his  debtor,  but  that 
of  others  also,  and  therefore,  since  monetary  consid- 
erations were  supreme,  she  could  not  be  considered 
socially  eligible. 

On  his  right  at  dinner  was  Lady  Smeaton.  Mrs. 
Penton  was  on  his  left;  Lucy  being  some  distance 
down  the  table,  next  to  the  politician. 

"  And  so,"  said  Mrs.  Penton,  "  you  are  going  to 
live  in  this  big  house  by  yourself.  I  call  that  quite 
original." 

"  It  is,"  said  Lady  Smeaton ;  "  but  Mr.  Ames 
would  be  nothing  if  not  original." 

"  If  my  home  were  smaller,  it  would  be  unworthy 
of  my  friends." 

"  A  very  nice  way  of  excusing  your  magnificence." 

"  The  truth  is,"  said  the  Italian  upon  Mrs.  Pen- 
ton's  left,  "  the  time  is  approaching  when,  with  the 
rise  of  socialism,  we  shall  be  forced  to  ask  permission 
to  possess.  For  some  time  I  thought  I  was  quite 
safe  in  depositing  my  modest  savings  here  in  Eng- 
land, but  I  now  see  that  they  will  not  always  be  safe." 


$6         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Penton,  who  was  seated  not  far  down  the  table, 
said: 

"  I'm  thinking  of  transferring  my  shekels  to  Con- 
stantinople. I  fancy  that  they  may  be  safer  there 
than  here." 

"  And  I,"  said  his  wife,  "  am  thinking  of  digging 
a  small  hole  in  the  ground." 

Ames  thought :  "  There  wouldn't  be  much  to  put 
in  it." 

He  said: 

"  Be  not  afraid.  As  democracy  obtains  its  ends, 
it  is  caught  in  the  net  of  property.  Each  of  those 
who  clamour  for  equality  of  ownership  will  be  glad 
to  modify  his  views  as  soon  as  he  accedes  to  owner- 
ship. I  say  modify,  because  of  all  these  democratic 
efforts  something  must  remain.  Whether  we  like  it 
or  not,  we  shall  be  made  to  clip  a  portion  of  our 
wings." 

"  And  yet,"  said  Lady  Smeaton,  "  those  people 
talk  of  justice." 

"  Justice  for  each  class,"  suggested  Ames,  "  may 
be  that  which  brings  it  the  most  advantages." 

"  Well,  that  is  as  it  should  be.  We  shall  go  on 
fighting  for  advantage  to  the  end." 

"  Yes,"  said  Penton,  "  for  we  must.  We  cannot 
help  ourselves." 

"  It  almost  makes  me  wish,"  said  Lady  Smeaton, 
"  that  I  had  been  born  a  hundred  years  ago." 

"  I'm  sure,"  said  Ames,  "  that  none  of  us  wish 
that." 

A  little  later,  when  Ames  went  up  to  the  drawing- 
room,  he  found  Lucy  Penton  in  a  corner  looking  at 
a  medallion  portrait  of  a  lady  painted  on  ivory  and 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         47 

framed  in  gold,  which  was  visible  through  the  glass 
door  of  a  cabinet. 

"  That  is  your  mother,  is  it  not  ?  "  she  asked,  and 
he  assented. 

"  What  a  beautiful  old  lady ! " 

His  mother,  although  not  plain,  was  certainly  not 
beautiful.  His  own  beauty  he  had  inherited  from 
his  father. 

The  excessive  panegyric  sounded  in  his  ears  as 
comic. 

He  said :  "  Is  not  the  execution  exquisite  ?  It 
was  done  by  a  friend  of  mine  at  Florence." 

"  A  lady?  "  she  inquired. 

"  A  man — a  mere  artistic  man !  " 

*'  I  noticed  from  the  first,"  she  said,  "  it  was  a 
masterpiece." 

And  he  concluded :  "  Insincerity  thy  name  is  Pen- 
ton." 

She  said  in  a  low  tone: 

"How  well  you  spoke  at  dinner.  You  said  ex- 
actly what  I  think." 

"  In  that  case,"  he  replied,  "  my  thoughts  in- 
crease in  value  in  my  estimation." 

She  said : 

"Aren't  you  lonely  in  this  great  big  house?  " 

At  first  he  was  inclined  to  answer  "  No,"  but  think- 
ing that  this  would  sound  unnecessarily  independent 
and  aloofish  and  knowing  that  the  negative  would 
make  it  difficult  for  her  to  proceed  with  what  he 
called  argumentum  ad  matrimonmm,  he  simply  mur- 
mured: "Yes." 

He  knew  she  could  not  say :  "  Why  don't  you 
marry?"  and  the  position  was  thus  left  enigmatic, 


48        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

as  he  wished  that  it  should  be.  And  for  a  moment, 
as  she  was  silent,  he  contemplated  her,  thinking  that 
it  was  a  pity  that  a  girl  so  handsome  should  be  com- 
pelled to  flatter,  vexed  with  her  for  supposing  that 
he  could  be  influenced  by  tactics  such  as  these.  Then 
he  left  her  to  talk  to  his  other  guests  and  particu- 
larly to  a  pale  young  man,  the  son  of  a  ruined  earl, 
who  was  said  to  have  the  entree  into  the  houses  of 
the  greatest  magnitude.  His  name  was  the  Hon. 
Stephen  Moore,  and  Ames,  who  thought  much  of  his 
importance,  prevented  him  from  being  bullied  by  a 
general. 

Moore  in  gratitude  presently  said: 

"  I  should  really  like  to  introduce  you  to  a  friend 
of  mine,  to  Lady  Ventner." 

"  Good !  "  said  Ames,  "  that  is  the  woman  whom  I 
particularly  wish  to  know." 

An  appointment  was  therefore  made. 

When  the  party  broke  up  a  little  later,  Ames  was 
standing  in  the  hall,  waiting  to  take  a  final  leave  of 
his  guests,  when  Lucy  Penton  glided  up  to  him. 

Covering  her  white  neck  with  a  boa,  she  ex- 
claimed : 

"  Mr.  Ames,  I  wonder  if  you  would  do  me  a  great 
favour.  We  bought  a  mezzotint  the  other  day  and 
I  should  so  like  to  compare  it  with  your  own  to  see 
if  it  is  really  by  Bartolozzi.  Do  you  think  I  might 
call  to-morrow  afternoon,  just  for  a  minute,  with 
mamma,  and  bring  it  ?  " 

Ames  expressed  himself  delighted  with  the  propo- 
sition, suggesting  they  should  come  to  tea,  to  which 
she  readily  agreed. 


Ill 

THE  next  day  was  a  rainy  one.  Ames  stayed  in  all 
the  morning  dictating  letters  to  his  secretary  and 
reading  a  treatise  on  the  principles  of  politics  by  a 
professor,  smiling  at  times  as  he  realised  how  far 
aloof  this  academic  person  was  from  the  politics  of 
actual  experience,  as  they  were  to  be  studied  day  by 
day,  and  wondering  to  what  extent  legislators  were 
ever  guided  by  the  lofty  views  the  book  contained, 
certain  that  if  he  entered  Parliament  he  would  find 
them  quite  unknown. 

As  four  o'clock  approached,  he  could  not  repress 
a  certain  agitation.  Lucy  was  seductive.  He  per- 
ceived in  her  rare  beauty  of  proportion.  She  was 
of  the  richest  womanhood.  He  knew  quite  well  that 
the  mezzotint  was  only  an  excuse  and  he  felt  almost 
flattered  that  she  should  seek  a  pretext  for  his  sake. 
For  his  sake  or  for  his  fortune's  sake?  Ah!  that 
was  the  question  which  he  well  perceived  it  would  be 
difficult  if  not  impossible  to  answer. 

On  the  stroke  of  four,  as  he  was  sitting  in  the 
library,  Giacomo  came  to  announce  Miss  Lucy 
Penton. 

"  Alone  ?  "  inquired  Ames. 

"  Si  signor.     La  signora  e  sola" 

Somewhat  surprised,  Ames  ascended  to  the  draw- 
ing-room, where  he  found  Lucy  unfolding  a  parcel 
in  her  lap. 

49 


50         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Mother  could  not  come,"  she  said.  "  She  wasn't 
very  well,  and  so  I've  had  to  beard  the  lion  in  his 
den." 

"  For  you  the  lion,  as  you  are  pleased  to  call  him, 
shall  become  a  lamb." 

"  Oh,  but  I  prefer  him  to  remain  a  lion,  especially 
as  I'm  not  afraid." 

And  she  looked  at  him  provokingly,  meeting  his 
glance  for  a  moment  and  then  continuing  to  remove 
the  tissue  paper  from  the  mezzotint. 

"  There,"  she  said,  "  there  is  the  object  for  which 
I  want  to  ask  advice." 

He  took  from  her  the  circular  picture,  examined 
it,  pronounced  it  spurious  and  offered  to  prove  it  so 
by  comparison  with  a  genuine  Bartolozzi  down  below. 
They  descended  to  the  library  where  he  soon  con- 
vinced her  of  the  truth  of  his  assertion. 

"  It  was  father  bought  the  wretched  thing,"  she 
said,  "  not  I." 

He  led  her  to  a  seat,  rang  and  ordered  tea. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  said  presently,  observing  her 
as  she  poured  the  tea,  "  you  remind  me  of  a  portrait 
of  a  lady  in  the  gallery  of  Florence,  which  excites 
the  admiration  of  all  who  see  it." 

In  reality  she  reminded  him  far  more  of  a  Bava- 
rian beauty  whom  he  had  once  known  in  Rome,  but 
as  he  thought  that  no  one  woman  can  ever  hear  an- 
other praised  with  equanimity  he  gave  the  compli- 
ment the  Florentine  complexion. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  really?  I've  often  been  told 
such  things  before,  by  people  who,  for  what  I  cared, 
might  as  well  not  have  said  them.  But  with  you  it's 
different." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         51 

"  Do  you  really  honour  me  by  caring  a  little  what 
I  think?" 

"  Well,  of  course  I  do.  Are  you  not  superior  to 
most  of  the  men  I  meet  ?  " 

Ames  was  somewhat  disconcerted.  This  praise 
did  not  touch  his  vanity  which  he  kept  sternly  in 
subjection ;  but  it  seemed  to  turn  the  tables  on  him 
and  left  him  almost  at  a  loss  for  a  reply. 

Perceiving  this,  she  said: 

"  It's  unusual,  is  it  not,  for  a  woman  to  be  frank?  " 

"  It  enhances  her  attractiveness,  I  think." 

"  Do  you  know,"  she  said,  "  I  feel  an  irresistible 
desire  to  confide  in  you.  You  don't  seem  the  kind 
of  man  that  would  betray  a  woman." 

"  No,  certainly." 

"  I  was  sure  of  it ;  but  before  I  begin,  if  you've 
no  objection,  I'll  light  a  cigarette."  She  had  pro- 
duced a  gold  case  from  her  pocket,  saying : 

"  Please  don't  offer  me  any.  I'm  accustomed  to 
my  special  brand.  Will  you  not  try  it  ?  " 

He  took  a  cigarette  from  her  and  he  watched  her 
as  she  lit  the  little  gold-tipped  cylinder. 

Instinctively,  he  associated  the  smoking  habit  on 
the  part  of  women  with  laxity  or  a  decided  tendency 
towards  it.  It  indicated,  he  considered,  a  dislike 
of  'self -restraint,  a  desire  to  find  satisfaction  some- 
how, to  counteract  the  stress  of  nervous  tension,  to 
temporarily  calm  the  working  of  strong  passions. 

"  My  father  is  forcing  me  to  marry  an  old  man." 

She  paused  to  see  the  effect  her  words  had  made ; 
but  Ames'  face  betrayed  no  indication  of  his 
thoughts. 

"  Forcing?  "  he  repeated. 


52        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Yes,  and  of  course  you  wonder  why.  Things 
with  us  are  not  as  they  seem,  do  you  understand? 
I'm  to  be  the  saviour  of  the  family." 

"  The  old  man  being  rich?  " 

She  nodded. 

Suddenly  he  felt  conscious  of  emotion.  That  this 
superb  creature  should  be  sacrificed,  and  made  to 
endure  a  marriage  contradictory  to  nature,  seemed  to 
him,  if  tine,  a  crime,  and  one  which  he  would  like  to 
hinder.  But  how?  By  marrying  her  himself,  as 
she  had  evidently  come  there  to  suggest?  Was  she 
not  as  rare  a  sample  of  the  other  sex  as  he  would  ever 
find?  Just  as  suddenly  as  he  experienced  it,  he 
quelled  the  feeling  that  was  drawing  him  towards 
her.  He  wanted  to  know  more. 

"  That  would  be  unheard  of,  monstrous,"  he  de- 
clared, taking  a  seat  nearer  to  her  and  gazing  into 
her  face.  "  You  are  entitled  to  a  share  of  the  joy  of 
life  and  you  must  not  be  thus  sacrificed." 

"  You  speak  as  though  you  had  a  choice,  but  I 
have  none  and  the  time  is  short.  My  father's  cred- 
itors are  pressing." 

"  What  are  his  liabilities?  " 

"  Not  very  much.     Five  or  six  thousand  pounds." 

"  If  he  were  relieved,  would  you  still  think  of  this 
marriage  ?  " 

"Yes." 

He  started  slightly.  He  had  expected  a  different 
answer. 

"Whj?" 

"  Because  I  must  be  married." 

He  gazed  at  her  again.  Was  this  a  comedy  she 
was  playing  to  lead  him  on  to  matrimony  or  was 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         53 

there  some  serious  cause  which  rendered  it  imperative 
that  she  should,  as  she  said,  be  married? 

"  But  why,"  he  asked,  "  since  you  must  marry, 
should  you  marry  age  instead  of  youth?  " 

"  Because  youth  will  not  do  what  age  will." 

"  And  what  is  the  compulsion  ?  " 

"  Ah !  now  you  ask  me  too  much.  For  the  rest, 
it  cannot  matter  at  all  to  you." 

"  It  does,  for  I  desire  nothing  more  than  to  see 
you  happy." 

"  What,  I  wonder,  would  you  do  to  make  me  so  ?  " 

Why  could  he  not  say  "  marry  you  "  ?  He  often 
asked  himself  that  question  after  she  had  left  him. 
Was  it  that,  looking  into  her  eyes  as  he  did  then,  he 
read,  or  thought  he  read,  that  she  was  no  longer  what 
she  was  credited  with  being?  No,  the  ancient  preju- 
dice against  the  breach  of  maidenhood  affected  him 
but  little.  It  was  based  upon  a  metaphysical  con- 
ception of  the  marriage  state  and  such  conceptions 
were  quite  foreign  to  his  mind.  As  long,  he  thought, 
as  the  remarriage  of  divorced  women  was  accepted, 
and  he  saw  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be,  it  was 
impossible  to  logically  ban  the  marriage  of  those 
women  who  by  accident  or  folly,  from  love  or  through 
deception,  had  lost  the  quality  of  the  jeune  file, 
especially  when  there  were  no  visible  results.  Of 
course  it  depended  somewhat  upon  what  was  sought 
in  marriage.  If  the  principal  end  was  offspring, 
then  no  doubt  the  question  was  a  little  complicated, 
but  he  had  never  yet  been  conscious  of  the  paternal 
instinct  and  he  doubted  greatly  whether  it  existed 
strongly  in  the  men  of  the  present  age.  And  this 
suspicion  of  her,  after  all,  was  perhaps  unfounded, 


54        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

although  as  he  looked  at  her,  and  noticed  the  slight 
abandonment  with  which  she  leaned  back  in  her  chair, 
and  something  indefinable  in  the  expression  of  her 
face,  it  seemed  to  him  by  no  means  without  cause. 
Also,  circumstances  played  an  important  part  in  the 
determination  of  what  might  and  might  not  be  done. 
Much  could  be  excused  to  a  woman  who  possessed 
good  nature,  and  much  especially  to  one  of  Lucy's 
charm. 

"  What  would  I  do?  "  he  asked.  "  All  in  my  power 
to  help  you  to  forget  your  troubles — all." 

She  rose  and  threw  her  cigarette  into  the  grate 
impatiently. 

"  But  nothing  to  prevent  them.    Good ! " 

She  stood  before  him  in  the  full  power  of  her 
beauty,  and  for  a  moment  he  felt  an  impulse  to  take 
her  in  his  arms,  agreeing  to  her  terms.  But  no,  he 
would  not  place  that  chain  around  his  neck  at  the 
outset  of  his  career,  not  knowing  into  what  complica- 
tions it  might  lead  him,  determined  that  his  better 
reason  should  not  be  obscured  by  the  sex  impulsion — 
strong  within  him  at  that  moment.  ^Esthetically 
she  might  be  perfect,  but  there  were  other  qualities 
and  attributes  he  felt  himself  entitled  to  demand 
before  he  took  a  step  which  brought  him  and  his 
private  life  under  the  segis  of  the  obsolete  and  ill- 
made  laws  that  regulated  marriage  in  the  land.  He 
did  not  want  to  place  his  peace  of  mind  at  the  mercy 
of  a  woman  brought  up  in  the  environment  in  which 
she  had  been  reared. 

During  the  silence  which  ensued  he,  too,  rose,  and 
as  he  did  so  he  was  in  arm's  length  of  the  button 
which,  when  pressed,  admitted  to  the  Eastern  room. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES         55 

He  believed  she  would  have  followed  him  down  there, 
but  no,  that  was  not  his  policy,  that  wasn't  what  he 
wished  to  do.  He  said  at  length : 

"  But  they  may  not  be  troubles  after  all.  Per- 
haps the  marriage  which  you  contemplate  is  the 
wisest  step  that  you  can  take,  and  one  that  will 
eventually  lead  to  happiness." 

Her  eyes  flashed,  but  she  repressed  her  indignation. 

"  You  know  very  well  it  won't." 

And  he  felt  guilty,  recognising  that  he  had  been 
insincere. 

"Shall  I  tell  you  what  they'll  do  to  me?"  she 
asked.  "  They'll  make  me  wicked.  I'm  not  that  yet, 
but  it  will  come.  Then  I  shall  make  others  suffer — 
you,  perhaps,  some  day." 

"  After  all,"  she  added,  "  you  act  as  only  a  rich 
man  can.  If  I  were  in  your  place  no  doubt  I  should 
do  the  same.  !As  the  Germans  say,  Es  lebe  das 
Leben." 

She  said  this  in  a  tone  of  indifference,  but  it  was 
plain  to  Ames  that  she  herself  was  suffering.  Well, 
he  did  not  like  to  make  women  suffer,  but  there  was 
such  a  thing  as  duty  towards  oneself. 

There  was  a  knock  at  the  door  and  Giacomo  en- 
tered, bearing  a  slip  of  paper  which  he  gave  to 
Ames. 

On  it  was  written  the  name  of  Mrs.  Beauchamp. 

"  In  the  blue  room,"  Ames  directed,  and  Giacomo 
left. 

"  I  wonder  now  what  you  really  think  of  me?  "  she 
asked. 

"  Were  I  to  be  frank  I  should  praise  you  so  ex- 
ceedingly that  you  might  take  it  as  an  exaggeration 


56        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

if,  as  I  expect,  you  are  not  fully  conscious  of  your 
worth." 

"  You're  cleverer  with  words  than  I." 

Ames  did  not  like  sophistry,  but  she  forced  him, 
he  considered,  to  resort  to  it  as  the  only  means  of 
avoiding  giving  her  offence. 

She  added :  "  You'll  come  to  my  wedding,  I  sup- 
pose. It  will  be  truly  a  white  affair.  Even  the 
bridegroom  will  be  in  the  right  note  since  his  hair  is 
as  white  as  snow." 

Ames  did  not  like  to  hear  her  talk  like  this,  and 
it  scarcely  seemed  to  him  good  taste.  He  was  an- 
noyed with  her  for  spoiling  with  her  speech  the 
prestige  of  her  beauty. 

"  Had  you  not  said,"  he  exclaimed,  somewhat 
bluntly,  "  that  it  was  urgent  you  should  marry  this 
old  man,  I  should  have  asked  you  to  let  me  be  your 
banker,  so  that  you  might  gain  time." 

"  It's  kind  of  you,  but  it's  urgent  and  it  must  be 
done." 

"  In  that  case  there's  no  more  to  be  said  about  it." 

"No.    Good-bye." 

She  put  on  her  cloak  hastily,  and  refusing  a  cab 
went  out  into  the  rain. 

When  the  door  had  closed  he  returned  to  the 
library,  where  he  remained  for  some  time,  thinking 
of  her  with  feelings  of  regret  for  something  valuable 
lost  and  at  the  same  time  anger  for  her  action  in 
coming  to  him  there,  because  he  realised  that  this, 
together  with  the  mysterious  "  must,"  had  turned 
him  away  from  her,  had  caused  the  inhibition  which 
he  had  experienced. 

Had  it  then  come  to  this?     Was  the  desire  for 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES        57 

wealth  so  overpowering  that  none  of  the  old  scruples 
stood  before  it?  Ah,  this  was  decadence  indeed! 

He  mused  morosely  for  some  time  until  he  was 
roused  by  Giacomo. 

"  Does  the  signer  not  wish  to  see  the  lady  in  the 
blue  room?  " 

A  smile  stole  over  Ames*  face.  Of  course  he  did. 
There  was  no  better  antidote  to  regret  for  one  woman 
than  the  society  of  another.  He  jumped  to  his  feet 
at  once. 

"  I'll  go.  And  look  here,  Giacomo,  if  any  more 
ladies  come  to-day,  I'm  out." 

He  ascended  the  stairs  with  some  alacrity. 

Edith  Beauchamp  was  walking  up  and  down  the 
room  in  evident  impatience. 

"  At  last  you've  come,"  she  said.  "  I  was  begin- 
ning to  think  you  had  forgotten  me." 

"  Could  I  be  guilty  of  so  great  a  crime?  " 

"  I  came,"  she  continued,  "  because  I  couldn't  delay 
thanking  you  for  what  you  did  for  me.  Oh,  you 
dear,  rich  man !  " 

She  took  his  hand  and  pressed  it  and  he  led  her  to 
the  sofa-chair. 

"  How  delightful  of  you  to  visit  me,"  he  said* 
taking  a  seat  beside  her  and  admiring  her  form. 

"  It's  a  dreadful  thing  for  me  to  do,  I  know,  or 
rather  it  was  until  quite  lately,  when  women  can  do 
anything  they  please.  At  any  rate,  I  felt  that  I 
might  not  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  you  for 
months  if  I  waited  till  you  called.  For  you  must  by 
this  time  be  beseiged  with  invitations.  What  a  beau- 
tiful house  you  have !  And  you  live  here  all  alone?  " 

"  Yes,  all  alone." 


58         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  How  the  women  must  be  courting  you,  and  one 
especially." 

"Which  one?" 

"  Lucy  Penton — naturally." 

"Why  naturally?" 

"  Oh,  because  she's  desperate." 

"  Why  desperate  ?  " 

"  Surely  you've  heard  of  her  affair  with  Baron 
Engelstein.  No?  Oh,  well,  you'll  hear  it  at  your 
club." 

"  Please  tell  me,"  Ames  inquired,  "  is  virtue  quite 
extinct?  " 

"  No,  when  there's  money  to  support  it." 

"  It  rests  then  on  a  financial  basis  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  think  it  always  has  ?  " 

Ames  laughed. 

"Your  philosophy,  dear  Mrs.  Beauchamp,  is 
deeper  far  than  mine." 

"  You  needn't  call  me  Mrs.  Beauchamp,  need  you  ? 
It  sounds  so  formal." 

"  Do  you  like  dispensing  with  formalities  ?  " 

«  Oh,  yes." 

He  placed  his  arm  around  her  waist  and  she  burst 
out  laughing. 

"  Really  you  take  one  at  one's  word." 

"  But  it  was  irresistible.  Are  you  not  superior 
to  all  the  women  that  one  meets  ?  " 

Lucy's  phrase,  altered  to  suit  the  circumstance, 
appeared  to  him  a  useful  one,  and  he  was  amused  to 
find  that  she  was  disposed  to  take  it  seriously.  Never- 
theless she  said: 

"  Do  you  really  think  that  ?  I  wonder  if  you 
are  in  earnest.  It's  always  so  difficult  to  know." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  rAMES         59 

"  Can  one  help  being  earnest  in  saying  such  things 
to  you?  " 

"  When  you  dined  with  me  the  other  day,  I  did 
not  think  that  you  would  ever  say  them." 

"  Did  I  seem  cold  ?  Ah !  well,  it  was  the  weather 
or  the  effect  of  politics." 

She  rested  her  head  upon  his  shoulder. 

"  I  don't  know  how  you  manage  it,  but  with  you 
I  am  at  once  unarmed." 

Then  he  felt  the  intoxication  creeping  over  him 
of  which  he  had  so  much  disgust.  An  entanglement 
with  this  widow?  Whither  would  it  lead  him?  Not 
probably  into  any  inextricable  situation.  She  had 
no  tie,  nor  he.  Yes,  but  there  was  the  contingency 
of  progeny,  that  which  in  plays  and  novels  was  con- 
stantly ignored.  Peuh!  it  was  slight  in  the  present 
case,  no  doubt. 

She  perceived  his  hesitation,  and,  as  though  afraid 
that  she  had  lost  an  advantage  gained,  she  said: 

"  You  are  very  thoughtful.     Why  ?  " 

"  I  was  thinking,"  he  said  slowly,  "  that  you  are 
the  most  seductive  example  of  your  sex  that  I  have 
seen  for  a  long  time.  You  represent  that  union  of 
beauty,  amenity,  and  charm  which  is  all  too  rare 
to-day." 

"  Now,  do  you  mean  that  truly  and  are  you  really 
glad  to  have  me  here?  " 

"  Can  you  for  a  moment  doubt  it  ?  " 

"  Oh !  "  she  said,  abandoning  herself,  "  I  liked  you 
from  the  first." 

Then  in  tender  tones  they  exchanged  confidences, 
said  the  little  things  that  real  lovers  say,  experienced 
the  joy  of  saying  them. 


60         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Several  times  he  had  seen  her  glance  at  the  half- 
open  door  of  the  inner  room,  and  just  as  he  was 
asking  himself  what  he  should  do  he  heard  a  knock  at 
the  outer  door.  His  first  impulse  was  to  take  no  heed 
of  it.  A  second  thought  prevailed. 

"  One  moment,"  he  said,  leaving  her  and  going  to 
the  door. 

It  was  Giacomo  with  a  telegram. 

Ames  tore  open  the  red  envelope.  The  message 
was  from  his  agent,  announcing  the  discovery  of  yet 
another  auriferous  deposit.  He  felt  his  power  sud- 
denly increase  and  just  as  suddenly  his  old  disin- 
clination to  be  tied. 

He  hesitated.  Then  he  said :  "  Excuse  me  for  a 
minute,"  and  he  went  out  on  the  landing,  closing  the 
door  behind  him. 

He  stood  there  a  few  seconds.     Then  he  called: 

"  Giacomo,  a  warm  bath."  He  followed  the  valet 
to  the  bathroom,  and  when  all  was  ready  directed  him 
to  ask  Sims  to  come  up.  Then,  undressing  rapidly, 
he  slipped  into  the  long,  deep  bath  and  immersed  him- 
self up  to  his  mouth  in  the  warm  water. 

And  as  soon  as  the  sedative  effect  had  been  pro- 
duced he  laughed  complacently. 

It  was  not  difficult.  The  amorous  delirium  might 
be  quelled  by  means  which  were  purely  physical.  By 
the  action  of  hot  water,  the  fire  could  be  thus  extin- 
guished and  the  mind  regain  its  calm.  It  was  won- 
derful how  Nature  could  be  coerced!  And  poets 
thought  they  understood  it !  Ah ! 

Then,  presently,  when  Sims  appeared,  he  made  him 
produce  his  notebook,  saying  he  desired  to  dictate 
his  electoral  address. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         61 

"  Of  all  the  ills  from  which  we  suffer,  there  is 
none  that  is  more  severely  felt  than  the  inequality 
which  too  palpably  exists  in  the  distribution  of  ad- 
vantages. And  by  advantage  I  mean  not  only  actual 
metallic  wealth,  but  all  those  sweet  amenities  of  life, 
such  as  light  and  space,  and  air  and  recreation, 
which  have  hitherto  been  the  privilege  of  small  minor- 
ities. Well,  it  is  this  ill  which,  in  the  measure  of  my 
power,  I  am  determined  to  combat.  I  do  not  care 
under  what  Regime  it  may  be,  I  do  not  pause  to  think. 
I  only  know  that  side  by  side  are  plethora  and  death, 
and  my  object  is  to  destroy  the  one  in  favour  of  the 
other.  Property " 

He  paused  a  moment  at  the  word,  because  he 
realised  that  he  was  treating  of  a  mighty  god. 
"  Property  must  in  the  future  be  held  on  other  terms 
than  those  which  have  hitherto  prevailed.  I  regard 
property  as  that  benefit  which  is  entrusted  to  us  by 
Nature  for  the  comfort  and  the  progress  of  society. 
There  are  few  so  poor  that  they  do  not  possess  some 
property,  but  what  is  essential  is  that  all  should  pos- 
sess property  in  real  accordance  with  their  reason- 
able needs." 

Sims,  as  he  wrote  this,  looked  up  with  an  expression 
of  surprise. 

"  You  think  that  socialism,  Sims  ?  " 

"  Well,  it's  very  much  like  it.  What  else  could  it 
be?  " 

"  A  lot  of  things,  according  as  it  is  interpreted. 
You  know  in  Shadley,  the  operatives,  who  constitute 
the  population,  have  been  reading  socialism  lately. 
I  must,  therefore,  take  this  into  account.  When 
once  I  am  elected,  it  will  be  time  enough  to  speak 


62         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

more  clearly  and  to  interpret  my  present  words  in  a 
convenient  sense." 

"  Convenient  to  whom  ?  "  the  scribe  inquired. 

"  Convenient  to  myself." 

Sims  grimly  smiled  and  the  dictation  was  continued 
until  Ames  declared  his  soaking  was  completed  and 
he  wanted  to  get  out. 

"  Now,  Sims,  as  soon  as  I've  dressed  and  left,  I've 
a  mission  which  I'd  like  you  to  perform.  I  want  you 
to  go  up  to  the  blue  room  and  inform  the  lady  who 
is  fretting  there  that  business  of  capital  importance 
has  called  me  hence.  Say  I  regret,  of  course,  and  do 
the  thing  in  form." 

He  added,  as  Sims  was  leaving: 

"  And  look  here,  don't  go  and  fall  in  love  with  her, 
or  she'll  surely  ruin  you." 

Sims  said:  "Ruin  me?  That  would  indeed  be 
difficult." 

"  Why  ?  You  are  my  secretary.  You  are  not 
without  prospects.  Only  try  to  be  more  cheerful, 
Sims,  for  you  depress  me  sometimes,  and  that  I  do 
not  like."  " 

A  gleam  of  hope  passed  over  the  secretary's  face 
as  he  closed  the  door. 

With  the  aid  of  Giacomo,  Ames  was  not  long  dress- 
ing, and  when  he  was  dressed  he  went  out  into  the 
street.  The  rain  had  ceased  and  the  sky  was  clear- 
ing. It  was  nearly  six  o'clock. 

Ames  passed  up  Regent  Street  enjoying  the  even- 
ing breeze  and  smoking  a  cigarette. 

He  was  perfectly  calm  and  rational,  that  he  ad- 
mitted to  himself,  but  he  also  recognised  that  he  was 
somewhat  dull,  oppressed  by  a  sense  of  loss  of  oppor- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES         63 

tunity.  He  had  conquered  the  desire,  but  he  could 
not  overcome  the  feeling  of  regret  which  had 
survived. 

Such  a  handsome  woman  and  of  such  easy  morals ! 
That  was  not  to  be  met  with  every  day,  perhaps, 
and  he  had  placed  too  much  restraint  upon  himself, 
it  might  be,  in  the  pursuance  of  his  aims. 

As  he  was  thinking  thus,  he  perceived  in  front  of 
him  a  fair-haired  girl  in  a  blue  serge  dress.  In  an 
instant  her  figure  satisfied  his  sense  of  symmetry. 
The  back  was  straight,  the  waist  in  strict  proportion, 
the  hips  as  ample  as  Nature,  in  her  generic  aims,  in- 
tended they  should  be.  She  was  walking  briskly  and 
the  heels  of  her  boots  clattered  gaily  on  the  pavement. 
Impelled  by  curiosity,  Ames  quickened  his  pace  and 
overtook  her.  Her  face  did  not  belie  her  figure. 
Fresh  and  firm  and  classical,  it  seemed  to  Ames 
seductive.  He  noticed  that  she  was  carrying  a  small 
brown  paper  parcel,  somewhat  as  though  she  were  a 
milliner's  assistant  which,  in  spite  of  her  well-bred  air, 
he  fancied  that  she  was. 

As  he  passed  her,  she  did  not  look  at  him,  and  he 
slackened  his  pace  so  that  she  might  overtake  him, 
wishing  to  see  her  a  second  time.  She  slackened  hers, 
so  that  it  was  not  until  he  stopped  a  moment  before 
a  shop  window  that  she  overtook  him.  He  followed 
her  half-way  up  the  Quadrant,  until  at  length  he  saw 
her  disappear  in  a  shop  which,  as  far  as  he  could 
understand,  sold  only  corsets. 

Now  this,  Ames  deemed,  was  awkward.  If  she  had 
entered  one  of  the  large  drapers'  shops  where  the 
public  circulated  freely  he  would  certainly  have  fol- 
lowed her.  But  how  should  he  enter  this  veritable 


64         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

gynseceum,  on  what  pretext,  or  in  what  guise?  Silly 
that  he  was!  Could  he  not  say  that  he  was  an 
emissary  ?  Were  there  not  ladies  in  the  country  who 
asked  men  to  shop  for  them  at  times?  Of  course,  it 
must  be  so,  and  whether  it  was  or  not  he  meant  to 
assume  it  was. 

He  waited  a  few  minutes  to  concoct  his  story  and 
to  allow  time,  as  he  calculated,  to  the  girl  to  divest 
herself  of  her  street  apparel  should  she  be  a  seller. 
Then  he  pushed  the  swing  door  and  went  in.  He 
found  himself  in  a  large  shop  with  counters  on  either 
side,  behind  which  stood  girl  assistants,  and  a  stair- 
case opposite  the  door  leading  to  the  floor  above. 
About  the  place  were  corsets,  apparently  of  fine 
quality.  Upon  a  table  stood  the  model  of  a  female 
bust  in  stays.  As  he  entered,  a  richly  dressed  lady 
with  grey  hair  advanced  with  dignity. 

"  I  have  come,"  Ames  said,  "  to  inquire  about 
measurements  for  a  lady  in  the  country  who  would 
wish  to  have  a  corset  made  by  you." 

"  Certainly,"  the  stately  lady  said,  calling  up  the 
stairs : 

"  Miss  Claire,  will  you  please  come  down  ?  " 

Almost  immediately,  the  assistant  named  appeared, 
and  at  once  Ames  recognised  the  girl  whom  he  had 
just  seen  in  the  street. 

"  This  gentleman  would  like  our  instructions  for 
self -measurement." 

Another  customer  came  in  and  she  left  Ames  with 
Miss  Claire,  who  opened  a  drawer  and  produced  from 
it  a  booklet  entitled :  "  Instruction  for  Self -Measur- 
ing. Blythe  &  Geraldine." 

"  The  lady  must  be  particular,"  she  said,  after 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         65 

explaining  the  system,  "  to  take  the  side  measure- 
ments in  three  places." 

She  spoke  with  a  slightly  foreign  accent,  keeping 
her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  diagram  she  was  explaining 
and  thus  afforded  Ames  an  opportunity  of  studying 
her  beauty.  In  this  moment  of  enthusiasm,  he 
thought  that  no  artist  in  the  world  had  ever  had  a 
finer  model. 

"  Your  system,"  he  said,  "  appears  to  exhibit  sym- 
metry of  form  to  excellent  advantage,  but  now  sup- 
posing that  the  lady's  figure  were  not  symmetrical, 
would  it  not  accentuate  the  blemish  ?  " 

She  smiled. 

"  In  that  case,  sir,  we  put  in  pads." 

Ames  laughed. 

"  Good.  I  shall  say  that,  if  required,  you'll  mould 
the  lady  to  the  shape  she  likes." 

Miss  Claire  appeared  uncertain  whether  she  should 
take  this  as  f  acetiousness  or  sarcasm. 

"  I  assure  you,  sir,"  she  said,  "  we  will  give  her 
satisfaction." 

This  was  proffered  with  commercial  caution,  Ames 
considered,  and  it  amused  him  somewhat. 

"  If  I  may  say,"  he  pursued,  "  that  the  young  lady 
who  explained  the  system  to  me  is  herself  an  exponent 
of  it,  and  if  I  describe  her,  I  am  quite  sure  that  my 
friend  will  have  no  further  hesitation." 

The  colour  of  Miss  Claire's  face  heightened  as  soon 
as  she  perceived  his  meaning. 

"  Of  course,"  she  said,  after  some  hesitation,  "  we 
all  wear — what  is  here." 

Suddenly  Ames  asked : 

"  You  are  French,  I  think?  " 


66        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Well,  Anglo-French.  My  father  was  French, 
my  mother  partly  English." 

He  spoke  to  her  in  French,  and  she  replied  in 
a  perfect  idiom. 

"  I  shall  call  in  a  day  or  two  to  let  you  know,"  he 
said,  after  a  pause.  "  And  when  I  come,  I  shall  ask 
for  you,  and  if  you  are  not  in  I  shall  call  again." 

As  he  said  this  he  looked  at  her  admiringly,  and 
she  smiled  half -timidly. 

When  he  found  himself  in  the  street  again  he 
marvelled  at  himself.  He  had  deserted  one  woman 
because  he  desired  to  keep  free  from  love  intrigues, 
and  half-an-hour  afterwards  he  was  embarked  upon 
an  amorous  adventure!  It  was  true  then  that  this 
sex  impulsion  could  not  be  subdued.  Kill  it,  and  it 
arose  from  its  own  ashes. 

He  walked  down  Regent  Street  again  and  home. 

As  he  reached  his  door,  Sims  was  leaving  for  the 
day. 

"  How  did  she  take  it?  "  Ames  inquired. 

"  Well  enough  at  first,  but  when  she  heard  that 
you  made  no  appointment,  and  that  you  hadn't  prom- 
ised to  write,  she  seemed  inclined  to  cry." 

Ames  shrugged  his  shoulders.  He  was  not  dis- 
posed to  commiserate  with  this  consolable.  Besides, 
she  was  his  debtor,  a  debtor  that  could  never  pay,  and, 
according  to  the  world's  view,  she  had  lost  a  great 
deal  of  her  rights  to  be  respected.  Did  he  adopt 
the  world's  views  then?  Apparently,  when  it  suited 
his  convenience.  He  did  not  esteem  himself  the  more 
for  that,  and  wondered  if  he  would  grow  as  mean  as 
the  majority  of  those  he  met. 


IV 

THE  next  day  towards  four  o'clock  Moore  arrived. 

"  So  you  are  going,"  said  Ames,  "  to  conduct  me 
to  the  shrine  at  which  I'm  told  there  are  many  wor- 
shippers." 

"  Yes,  for  the  lady  is  attractive,  clever,  and  in  a 
privileged  position." 

"  What  of  her  husband?  " 

"  Mad." 

"Really?" 

"  Well,  practically.  He  sits  up  in  his  castle  all 
day  long  blowing  soap  bubbles  with  his  keeper  when 
he  isn't  catching  flies." 

"  How  long  has  he  been  like  that?  " 

"  Five  years." 

"  And  how  does  the  lady  take  it  ?  " 

"  With  philosophy." 

As  they  sped  along  in  the  electric  brougham, 
Moore  told  Ames  more  stories  of  his  friends  in  the 
higher  sets,  and  it  was  singular  that  all  of  whom  he 
spoke  appeared  to  have  some  disability  or  care,  or 
to  be  in  danger  from  some  cause  or  another,  and 
above  all  to  be  in  a  large  degree  the  authors  of  their 
own  misfortune.  And  he  asked  himself  why,  endowed 
as  they  were  with  advantages  over  the  common  lot, 
they  could  not  lead  more  reasonable  lives. 

As  they  were  approaching  Loundes  Square,  Ames 
inquired : 

67 


68        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  And  are  the  Ventners  rich  ?  " 

"Well,  to  me  they  seem  rich  enough,  but  I  could 
quite  conceive  that  to  you  they  might  seem  poor." 

"How  much?" 

"  About  four  thousand,  I  have  heard." 

"  What  an  injustice !  " 

"How?" 

"  To  those  who  have  only  forty." 

"  Then  do  you  consider  yourself  unjust?  " 

"  Exceedingly." 

Moore  laughed  with  incredulity  and  the  brougham 
stopped  before  the  house  in  Portman  Square. 

"  She  expects  us,"  Moore  whispered  as  they  went 
up  the  stairs ;  "  and  is,  I  think,  quite  curious  to  see 
you." 

In  a  large  drawing-room,  almost  buried  in  a  high- 
walled  sofa,  they  found  a  woman  whom  Ames  judged 
to  be  thirty.  Light  hair,  slightly  golden,  a  skin  of 
fine  texture  and  of  extreme  whiteness,  a  face  that 
was  more  elegant  than  beautiful,  a  slight  figure, 
fairly  well  proportioned;  these  were  the  characteris- 
tics which  Ames  rapidly  observed  as  he  was  intro- 
duced. 

"  I  have  heard  of  you,  Mr.  Ames,"  she  said,  "  as 
having  lived  in  Italy." 

The  last  words  were  said  with  a  certain  air  of  lan- 
guor, as  though  she  were  already  somewhat  tired  by 
the  stress  of  life. 

"  Yes,  I  lived  there  many  years — yes,  many  happy 
years." 

He  said  this  with  studied  earnestness,  because  he 
had  observed  that  women  took  an  interest  in  earnest 
men.  Then  they  spoke  of  Italy,  which  Lady  Ventner 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        69 

knew  from  north  to  south,  and  which  Moore  also 
knew. 

"  And  now  tell  me,  Mr.  Ames,  what  has  made  you 
leave  that  lovely  land  for  England  ?  " 

"  From  a  climatic  point  of  view,  I  admit  that  it 
seems  folly,  but  in  England  there  are  compensations 
such  as  one  might  seek  in  vain  in  Italy." 

Lady  Ventner  smiled.     She  asked: 

"  Do  you  practise  much  locomotion  ?  " 

As  Ames  looked  somewhat  perplexed,  she  explained 
her  meaning: 

"  By  locomotion  of  course  I  mean  motoring, 
yachting,  travelling,  tobogganing,  punting." 

"  Yes,  I'm  beginning  to  do  some  of  these  things. 
I  wonder  why  ?  " 

"  Because  everybody  does  them.  You  would  be 
a  brave  man  indeed  if  you  dared  abstain." 

"  What  would  you  think  of  such  a  man  ?  " 

"I  should  admire  his  courage  and  deplore  his 
fate." 

"  I  suppose  it  would  be  terrible  indeed?  " 

"  Appalling." 

"  Mr.  Ames,"  Moore  said,  "  is  about  to  become  a 
politician.  He  is  going  to  contest  Shadley  at  the 
bye  election." 

Lady  Ventner  moved  somewhat  in  her  chair  and 
appeared  to  regard  Ames  with  fresh  interest. 

"  On  which  side?  "  she  inquired  quickly. 

"  Oh !  can  you  ask  that  question  ?  On  the  ancient 
side,  which  must  always  be  victorious  in  the  end." 

"  Of  course  it  must,  and  not  all  the  *  isms '  in  the 
world  can  alter  that.  It  is  arranged  by  Nature  that 
there  shall  always  be  one  section  of  society  endowed 


70         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

with  the  privileges  that  life  can  give,  a  section  that 
increases  the  value  of  existence  and  offers  a  model 
for  imitation.  It  is  a  party  with  a  settled  policy. 
It  has  the  prestige  of  tradition.  It  is  consistent  with 
itself,  faithful  to  its  ideals.  Its  aims  are  dignified 
and  high.  In  England  it  is  the  only  one  that  is 
truly  national." 

Ames  perceived  at  once  that  he  was  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  woman  for  whom  the  politics  of  her  own 
class  were  a  settled  creed  and  whose  anger  would  be 
soon  excited  by  any  expression  of  divergence  from 
them.  He  classed  these  people  as  fanatics,  but  they 
were  in  possession  of  much  power  and  refinement. 
They  must  be  humoured  and  encouraged  to  develop 
their  conceptions  and  their  misconceptions.  Only 
in  this  way  was  it  possible  to  deal  with  them  success- 
fully. 

He  said: 

"  Yes,  you  are  right ;  it  is  consistent." 

"  I'm  glad  you  think  so,  and  I  shall  be  pleased  to 
introduce  you  to  the  leaders,  most  of  whom  are 
friends  of  mine." 

This  was  precisely  what  Ames  did  not  desire.  He 
did  not  want  to  be  infeodated  at  the  start.  He  was 
anxious  to  preserve  his  independence.  Besides,  he 
was  not  really  on  her  side,  which,  historically,  might 
not  be  the  most  ancient.  However,  he  thanked  her 
for  her  offer,  knowing  the  wide  range  of  excuses  at 
his  disposal  when  the  time  arrived.  To  his  satisfac- 
tion, the  conversation  changed,  and  he  observed  that, 
if  she  were  bigoted  in  politics,  she  was  singularly 
free  from  prejudice  in  other  things.  Her  sense  per- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         71 

ceptions  were  extremely  fine.  In  herself  she  was  an 
object  of  virtu.  She  belonged  to  a  higher  type. 

Was  she  indulgent  or  severe  in  regard  to  laxity? 
The  question  was  important,  because  the  answer  to 
it  must  reveal,  he  thought,  the  fundamental  nature 
of  the  woman.  Wishing  to  test  her,  he  brought  the 
conversation  round  to  some  of  the  delinquencies  of 
modern  life,  and  observed  that  she  refrained  from 
magnifying  them,  from  condemning  or  excusing,  and 
when  individuals  were  concerned  she  evinced  no  haste 
to  blame,  no  evident  delight  to  censure  such  as  he 
had  frequently  detected  in  inferiorities.  Her  atti- 
tude was  decidedly  patrician,  and  he  was  glad  that 
he  had  come  that  afternoon.  Other  visitors  arrived, 
and  presently  Ames  and  Moore  withdrew.  When 
they  were  in  the  brougham  again  Moore  inquired 
what  Ames  thought  of  the  lady  whom  they  had  just 
visited,  and  the  reply  was : 

"  Charming.  I  am  much  indebted  to  you,  Moore, 
for  introducing  me." 

"  Oh !  she's  only  one.  I  hope  to  take  you  to  some 
more  big  houses." 

Ames  knew  the  value  of  these  introductions  into 
the  influential  world,  and  he  was  not  slow  to  express 
his  thanks.  Moore,  however,  coughed  a  little,  and 
after  a  preamble  as  to  the  extreme  expensiveness  of 
modern  life  he  said,  with  evident  embarrassment: 

"  In  order  to  keep  pace,  and  in  spite  of  my  small 
income,  I  bought  a  little  car  about  six  months  ago, 
and  the  wretched  manufacturers  are  actually  press- 
ing me  for  the  payment  of  the  balance.  I  wondered 
whether — I  did  not  know  if " 


72        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Ames  interrupted  him.  Taking  his  arm  affec- 
tionately, he  said: 

"  My  dear  fellow,  you  have  only  to  name  the  sum." 

'*  Two  hundred  and  fifty,"  murmured  Moore. 

"  The  postman  shall  bring  them  to  you  to-morrow 
morning." 

"Oh!  it  is  really  too  good  of  you  to  offer  this; 
but  of  course  I  could  only  accept  it  as  a  loan." 

"  Repayable  at  whatever  date  you  please." 

"  Thanks  very  much.  You  relieve  me  from  a  very 
great  strain  indeed." 

Inwardly  Ames  smiled.  Even  Moore!  he  thought. 
What  a  pity !  For  the  poor  man  would  never  again 
be  happy  in  his  company,  and  he  felt  that  he  him- 
self, however  much  he  might  not  wish  to  do  so,  would 
look  upon  him  with  a  certain  lack  of  interest,  with 
embarrassment,  with  disapproval.  Why  must  men 
do  these  things?  For  his  part,  in  the  most  strait- 
ened period  of  his  youth,  he  had  never  borrowed.  But 
this  was,  of  course,  no  loan.  It  was  in  reality  a  deal. 
The  money  was  paid  for  the  introduction,  since  it 
was  almost  sure  that  it  would  never  be  repaid.  And 
why  must  Moore  have  a  motor  when  he  had  only  a 
pittance  on  which  to  live?  No  doubt  it  was  to  en- 
able him  to  pass  for  richer  than  he  was  and  thus  to 
advance  his  prospects.  So  that  all  was  barter,  and 
society  appeared  to  be  one  huge  exchange?  Well, 
at  the  base  of  all  the  motives  was  that  of  sustenance, 
and  those  who  could  not  pursue  it  in  the  way  that 
was  considered  right  must  either  do  so  by  methods 
that  were  called  wrong  or  perish.  Cruel  alternative 
of  a  defective  social  state! 

Moore  said  presently: 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         73 

"  In  you,  I  know,  I  can  have  explicit  confidence. 
You  will  divulge  to  no  one  the  fact  of  this  advance." 

Ames  said: 

"  To  no  one,"  thinking :  "  The  poor  fellow  is 
trying  to  minimise  the  loss  of  his  prestige." 

They  chatted  of  other  things,  and  when  they 
reached  the  house  Ames,  without  inviting  his  friend 
to  enter,  said  good-bye  to  him  in  the  street,  as  Moore 
refused  to  be  driven  back  to  his  own  rooms. 

A  letter  sent  by  messenger  was  awaiting  Ames 
from  Edith: 

"  After  the  happy  time  we  passed  together  yester- 
day, I  expected  to  see  you  again  ere  this.  I  waited 
for  you  until  late  last  night  and  again  this  morning, 
but  you  have  not  come  and  I  am  left  to  wonder  what 
has  happened.  Your  secretary  told  me  that  you  had 
been  called  away,  but  he  did  not  say  for  what.  Do 
let  me  have  a  line  to  tell  me  you  are  coming !  Why 
not  dine  with  me  to-night?  Your  place  will  be  laid 
for  you,  and  I  do  trust  you  will  not  leave  it  empty. 
I  am  feeling  very  lonely  and  depressed.  It  would 
be  a  charity  if  you  would  come  and  cheer  me. 

"  EDITH." 

The  letter  was  in  a  plaintive  note  and  it  almost 
touched  him.  It  was  true,  no  doubt,  that  she  was 
fretting — a  little  from  love,  perhaps,  but  more  from 
disappointment.  In  any  case,  the  letter  disturbed 
his  equanimity  for  a  few  moments.  The  idea  of  an 
evening  passed  with  this  attractive  woman  was  se- 
ductive and  it  seemed  a  waste  of  opportunity  to  stay 
away.  Yes;  but  it  was  just  this  kind  of  woman  that 


74        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

became  a  chain  not  easy  to  shake  off,  and  he  was  well 
determined  that  he  would  retain  his  liberty. 

Therefore,  after  a  short  struggle  with  himself,  he 
tore  the  letter  into  pieces.  He  would  not  reply.  It 
was  a  brutal  course,  perhaps,  to  take;  but  brutality 
was  sometimes  unavoidable  in  life,  and  it  often  proved 
to  be  better  in  the  long  run  for  its  object  than  amen- 
ity. The  merit  of  silence,  in  this  case,  was  to  check 
her  enterprise  more  surely  than  it  could  be  checked 
by  any  other  means.  The  compunction  that  he  felt 
in  acting  thus  must  be  suppressed,  and  the  suppres- 
sion of  it  exercised  and  proved  his  power  of  self -disci- 
pline. 

And  then,  when  he  came  to  confess  to  himself,  as 
he  was  fond  of  doing,  he  recognised  that  the  memory 
of  Claire  had  much  to  do  with  his  determination.  For 
in  respect  to  Claire,  the  danger  was,  or  seemed  to  him, 
less  great.  She  was  not  in  society  and  consequently 
did  not  possess  the  powers  it  bestowed.  To  pursue  her 
was  perhaps  what  the  French  called  s'encanailler,  al- 
though when  he  thought  of  her  grace  and  distinction 
he  found  it  difficult  to  use  the  term. 

What  somewhat  held  him  back  was  the  energy  re- 
quired to  conduct  the  enterprise  in  the  way  he 
wished,  for  he  felt  already  that  wealth  had  made  him 
lazy. 

Nevertheless,  in  the  morning,  after  breakfast,  he 
left  his  house  and  walked  to  Jermyn  Street,  to  execute 
a  project  he  had  formed  in  the  waking  hours  of  the 
night.  When  he  reached  the  discreet  and  narrow  thor- 
oughfare which  had  been  his  home  on  his  arrival  he 
looked  around  for  a  few  moments,  then  entered  a 
house  above  the  door  of  which  was  written  "  Apart- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         75 

merits."  He  was  shown  a  bedroom  and  a  sitting-room, 
both  well  furnished. 

"  I  take  them  for  three  months,"  said  Ames,  pro- 
ducing a  banknote,  "  and  pay  for  them  at  once. 
Please  write  out  a  receipt  for  the  three  months'  rent 
to  Mr.  Ames." 

This  was  done  and  Ames  returned  to  Carlton  Ter- 
race. He  had  acquired  another  home  of  many  capa- 
bilities, a  place  where  he  could  model  when  the  fancy 
took  him,  where  he  could  write  and  mature  plans. 

For  the  next  few  days  Ames  was  busily  engaged 
preparing  for  the  first  meeting  of  his  electors  and 
had  little  time  for  love  affairs. 

Invitations  also  were  beginning  to  reach  him  in 
increasing  numbers.  Even  the  Norton- Youngs,  who 
were  generally  somewhat  indifferent,  asked  him 
rather  pressingly  to  come  to  a  reception  they  were 
holding  soon. 

There  was  an  invitation  to  the  wedding  of  Lucy 
Penton  to  a  German  count,  whose  age,  Ames  had 
been  told,  was  sixty-five.  Cynical,  Ames  reflected,  as 
he  placed  the  card  upon  the  mantel.  Life  must  be 
lived,  had  she  not  said,  and  its  chances  must  be 
taken?  Yes,  but  life  should  never  be  betrayed! 

There  was  one  invitation  which  he  accepted  read- 
ily— that  which  came  from  Lady  Ventner,  because 
he  thought  that  she,  at  least,  could  have  no  interested 
motive  to  pursue,  and  also  because  he  liked  her  for 
her  charm. 

But  he  was  beginning  to  find  that  the  state  of 
being  rich  had  certain  disadvantages  which  he  would 
never  have  suspected.  At  his  club  he  found  that 
he  was  obliged  to  choose  his  friends  in  two  classes, 


76         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

the  rich,  or  the  parasital  poor ;  because  the  independ- 
ent and  high-souled  poor  avoided  him,  not  wishing, 
as  he  thought,  to  be  confounded  with  the  parasital 
class,  knowing  also  that  they  could  not  keep  his  pace. 
And  yet  they  were  the  men  for  whom  alone  he  had 
some  admiration.  As  for  the  rich,  they  seemed  to 
him  for  the  most  part  arrogant  and  largely  engaged 
in  ruining  their  health  by  their  excesses.  When  he 
was  poor,  many  of  them  had  seemed  fools  to  him, 
and  now  that  he  was  rich  they  seemed  fools  still. 
They  irritated  him  by  always  presupposing  that  he 
did  as  they,  that  he  invariably  followed  the  pre- 
scribed course. 

There  was  only  one  member  of  the  club,  however, 
that  could  not  well  be  classed  in  any  of  the  cate- 
gories. His  name  was  Craig,  and  no  one  knew  his 
income.  He  was  the  author  of  some  philosophic 
works  that  no  one  in  the  club  had  ever  read,  but 
which  were  held  in  some  esteem,  it  was  understood,  by 
the  learned  world.  On  account  of  his  logic  and  his 
powers  of  analysis  he  was  listened  to,  although  by 
not  a  few  he  was  disliked  and  feared. 

The  day  before  the  meeting  Ames  had  been  speak- 
ing to  a  rich  newspaper  proprietor  named  Richards, 
who  had  been  explaining  to  him  the  scope  of  his 
rotary  machines  and  causing  to  germ  in  his  mind  the 
idea  of  a  journal  of  his  own.  Stout  and  alcoholic, 
this  man  was  nevertheless  a  clever  mystifier  of  the 
public  that  had  made  him  rich.  One  of  his  many 
papers  professed  to  take  the  part  of  the  humble  and 
the  poor,  and  most  of  the  economic  news  that  it  dis- 
cussed was  carefully  arranged  in  such  a  way  that 
the  readers  should  be  kept  alive  to  the  injustice  of 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        77 

the  employer  and  the  simple  honesty  of  the  employed, 
although  his  own  men  bitterly  complained  of  the  way 
in  which  he  treated  them.  The  initiated  knew  that 
his  true  aim  was  to  lead  the  people  back  into  the 
hands  of  capital  as  soon  as  he  had  gained  their  con- 
fidence, and  the  reason  why  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Berkshire  Club  was  that  this  establishment  had  no 
very  settled  politics,  having  become  confused  in  its 
political  allegiance  some  time  before  on  the  Irish 
issue. 

As  Ames  was  listening  to  this  magnate,  amused 
at  his  self-sufficiency,  Craig  joined  them. 

"  I  was  telling  Mr.  Ames,"  said  Richards,  "  that 
when  he  gets  into  Parliament  we  shall  expect  much 
of  him." 

"  In  Parliament,"  Craig  said,  "  as  far  as  my  ob- 
servation goes,  an  individual  can  achieve  little.  He 
is  powerless  if  he  stands  alone,  and  as  a  partisan  he 
is  not  free." 

Then  adjusting  his  glasses  and  scrutinising  Ames, 
he  asked  after  a  momentary  pause: 

"  May  I  inquire  why  you  seek  to  enter  Parlia- 
ment? " 

Ames  saw  the  trap  and  he  replied : 

"  Chiefly  because  it  is  considered  distinction  to  be 
there." 

"  And  do  you  consider  it  as  such?  " 

"  My  own  opinion  is  of  no  importance  in  the 
matter." 

"  That  of  the  maj  ority,  you  think,  suffices." 

"  For  my  purpose,  yes,  it  does." 

"  So  far  as  it  goes,"  said  Craig,  "  that  is  satis- 
factory. If  you  are  elected,  there  will  at  least  be 


78         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

one  member  who  will  not  ask  us  to  believe  that  he 
is  there  for  his  country's  good." 

"  You  appear  to  have  no  faith  in  the  system. 
Could  you  tell  us  how  it  is  to  be  reformed  ?  " 

"  Not  with  human  nature  as  it  is." 

*'  Then  should  we  not  accept  what  we  cannot 
mend?" 

"  I  do  not  think  so." 

"  What  then  can  we  do  ?  " 

"  Endeavour  to  devise  another  that  will  afford  no 
opportunity  to  *  human  nature '  to  confuse  and  spoil 
it — a  system  that  would  attract  the  men  that  the 
present  one  repels." 

"  Which  men,"  said  Richards,  "  are  of  course 
philosophers." 

"  I  am  surprised,"  said  Craig,  "  to  hear  you  use 
a  word  so  obsolete." 

With  this  he  moved  away,  and  Richards  said : 

"  Unpractical,  high-stilted  person !  " 

"  Quite  out  of  place,  I  should  imagine,"  Ames  re- 
marked, with  a  quiet  smile,  "  in  the  Berkshire  Club." 

As  he  walked  home  Ames  thought  of  this  conver- 
sation. This  man  perceived  the  weakness  of  the  po- 
litical machine.  Many,  no  doubt,  perceived  it  also, 
but  he  differed  from  them  by  the  impulse  which  com- 
pelled him  to  proclaim  a  truth  which  others  veiled. 
This  man  must  lead  a  life  saddened  by  his  percep- 
tions and,  what  was  more,  he  must  incur  the  odium 
or  the  enmity  of  those  who  took  things  as  they  were 
and  derived  profit  from  them.  Well,  there  had  al- 
ways been,  and  probably  would  always  be,  men  who 
had  the  instinct  of  perfectibility,  who  never  were, 
and  never  could  be,  satisfied  with  the  inferiority 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         79 

which  passed  current  as  superiority.  And  he  him- 
self, was  he  of  these?  He  did  not  know.  The  future 
would  decide. 

Although  busy  with  these  reflections,  he  was  con- 
scious that  an  impulse  which  he  could  not  resist  had 
directed  his  steps  to  Regent  Street.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments he  found  himself  before  the  shop  of  Blythe  & 
Geraldine,  and  as  he  stood  hesitating  as  to  whether 
he  should  enter,  the  door  opened,  and  Claire  came 
out. 

She  recognised  him  instantly. 

'*  You  were  coming  in  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,  about  that  order.  It's  to  you  alone  I  pre- 
fer to  explain  the  thing.  If  you  are  leaving,  I  must 
come  again." 

"  I  will  return,"  she  said,  with  a  pleasant  smile, 
and  they  pushed  the  swing  doors  simultaneously.  In 
an  instant  she  had  divested  herself  of  her  hat  and 
stood  behind  the  counter  facing  him. 

"  Well,"  said  Ames,  "  I  have  heard  from  my  rela- 
tive who's  coming  to  town  for  a  flying  visit,  and 
thinks  it  better  that  you  should  measure  her.  Can 
you  come  to  9  Jermyn  Street  on  Friday  next  at  six 
o'clock?" 

"  Oh,  certainly.    What  name?  " 

"  Ames." 

The  young  girl  wrote  the  appointment  in  a  book, 
and  Ames,  preserving  a  serious  demeanour  to  avoid 
suspicion,  withdrew  after  a  remark  about  the  fine- 
ness of  the  day. 

Why  was  it  that  when  he  found  himself  in  the 
street  again  he  was  discontented  with  himself?  Ac- 
customed to  self-analysis,  he  recognised  that  under 


80         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

the  influence  of  sex  impulsion  he  had  had  recourse 
to  subterfuge,  and  he  was  conscious  of  a  feeling  that 
in  his  privileged  position  he  ought  to  have  been  able 
to  dispense  with  that.  Oh!  but  he  would  be  frank 
with  her  as  soon  as  he  had  an  opportunity,  and  all 
love  enterprises  required  certain  preparations  which 
could  not  always  be  sincere. 

Thinking  thus,  he  walked  to  his  rooms  in  Jermyn 
Street,  where,  although  it  was  late,  he  ordered  tea 
and  questioned  the  proprietor  as  to  the  possibility  of 
having  meals  should  he  require  them. 

That  evening  he  spent  with  Jones,  his  agent,  lis- 
tening to  his  report  of  the  tendencies  and  occupa- 
tions of  the  inhabitants  of  his  constituency,  and 
reading  parliamentary  debates. 

"  What  chance  have  I?  "  he  inquired  of  the  middle- 
aged,  round-headed  Welshman  who  was  in  charge  of 
his  political  affairs. 

"  Every  chance,"  was  the  reply.  "  They  must 
have  a  man  who  will  contribute  largely  to  their  char- 
ities and  institutions,  for  they  are  well-nigh  bank- 
rupt now." 

"Then  you  think  they  will  elect  me  for  my 
purse?  " 

"Well,  of  course  they  might  have  other  reasons, 
but  that  will  be  a  weighty  factor  in  the  case." 

"  Quite  so ;  it  has  become  the  only  one  in  life." 

Jones  said: 

"  If  it  were  not  for  that,  the  socialist  might  have 
a  chance.  A  good  many  of  the  electors  have  social- 
istic tendencies." 

"  I  hope,"  said  Ames,  "  I  shall  know  how  to  con- 
ciliate these  worthy  people." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         81 

"  From  what  I  have  seen,  Mr.  Ames,  I  should  think 
you  would.  You  have  the  power  of  appearing  to  be 
upon  all  sides  at  once." 

"  Sides?  Now,  Jones,  confess  that  sides  are  only 
make-believe!  You  yourself  care  no  more  for  one 
side  than  another." 

"  Oh,  really,  Mr.  Ames !  " 

"  You  know  you  don't.     Admit  it  honestly." 

Jones  laughed. 

"Well,  you  see  I'm  like  an  organ  that  was  made 
to  play  one  tune.  If  I  were  put  in  the  other  camp 
to-morrow  I  should  be  quite  lost." 

"  But  suppose  my  competitor  offered  you  a  thou- 
sand pounds  to  go  to  him,  do  you  think  you'd  hesi- 
tate? " 

"  Oh,  what  a  supposition !  " 

"  Say  plainly,  No." 

"  Of  course  when  a  man  has  a  wife  and 
family " 

"  Yes,  Jones,  I  have  observed  that  the  possession 
of  a  wife  and  family  is  held  to  condone  much." 

"  You  will  learn  what  it  means  some  day,  Mr. 
Ames." 

"  Perhaps,  Jones ;  although  I  think  it  doubtful." 


ON  the  evening  of  the  meeting,  Ames  drove  down 
to  the  hall  in  Shadley.  He  had  embarked  upon  this 
business  without  knowing  whether  he  was  fitted  for 
it  or  being  sure  that  he  could  speak.  He  told  him- 
self, however,  that  if  he  was  unable  to  creditably 
address  an  audience  of  such  limited  intelligence  as 
that  which  he  knew  would  gather  there  to-night  he 
must  be  very  dull  indeed,  and  that  he  was  by  no 
means  ready  to  admit. 

Entering  the  ante-room,  he  conversed  with  the 
chairman,  a  local  magnate  and  M.  P.,  as  well  as  with 
a  few  supporters  whom  the  former  had  procured, 
and  presently  they  all  ascended  the  platform. 

The  room  was  already  almost  full,  and  Ames,  who 
was  greeted  with  applause,  saw  before  him  an  audi- 
ence which,  as  far  as  he  could  judge,  belonged,  for 
the  most  part,  to  the  skilled  artisan  and  the  trading 
classes,  with  a  row  or  two  of  the  aristocracy  in 
front. 

As  he  was  surveying  these  foremost  rows,  he  per- 
ceived a  lady  whom  he  thought  he  knew.  Surely 
beneath  that  veil  was  the  face  of  Edith!  Extraor- 
dinary boldness  on  her  part  to  be  there !  Almost  at 
the  same  instant  he  became  aware  that  speaking  to 
her  was  Sybil  Norton-Young.  Both  were  dressed  in 
black  and  both  seemed  to  avoid  looking  in  his  direc- 
tion. Ah !  well,  if  they  liked  to  lose  an  evening  thus 
he  had  no  objection.  But  how  strange  of  Edith  not 

82 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        83 

to  take  offence !  Did  she  mean  to  "  fasten  on  "  to 
him,  he  wondered.  That,  of  all  things,  was  what  he 
would  not  brook. 

The  chairman  introduced  the  candidate  in  a  short 
address,  in  which  he  dwelt  upon  the  needs  of  the  con- 
stituency, the  wish  and  ability  of  Ames  to  meet  them. 
He  had  had  an  opportunity  of  ascertaining  the  po- 
litical ideals  which  Mr.  Ames  had  set  before  him,  and 
he  could  assure  the  audience  that  they  were  of  the 
soundest  character. 

When  Ames  rose  he  was  greeted  with  loud  ap- 
plause, which,  however,  having  been  arranged  before- 
hand by  the  agent,  was  far  from  general.  He  told 
the  gathering  that  he  met  them  as  a  friend  who,  in 
return  for  the  honour  they  had  done  him  in  coming 
there  that  night,  would  endeavour  to  explain  to  them 
frankly,  and  without  reticence,  his  views  of  the  situ- 
ation and  his  projects  for  reform.  Then,  in  an  ora- 
tion which  lasted  for  well-nigh  half  an  hour,  he  un- 
folded before  them  in  a  tone  of  conversation  the  pol- 
icy which  he  had.  constructed  in  his  mind  since  he 
first  resolved  to  enter  politics.  Ostensibly  a  Radical, 
because  he  had  observed  that  in  England  the  Radi- 
cal stood  conveniently  between  Liberalism  and  So- 
cialism, and  was  the  most  able  to  move  as  the  bal- 
ance of  power  swayed;  he  did  not  dwell  upon  party 
principles,  but  applied  himself  to  the  task  of  prov- 
ing his  ability  to  deal  with  economic  ills,  the  only 
ones  which,  as  he  well  knew,  the  electors  of  his  times 
held  serious,  and  his  speech  was  so  carefully  de- 
vised to  meet  the  needs  of  the  classes  without  strik- 
ing at  the  vital  interest  of  any  of  them,  that  it  was 
often  quoted  afterwards  as  a  model  of  non-commit- 


84        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

ment.  And  although  he  himself  thought  it  a  piece 
of  sophistry,  of  which  he  might  have  been  ashamed 
if  he  had  not  held  all  politics  to  be  little  more  than 
sophistry,  it  was  a  remarkable  success,  and  won  him, 
before  he  resumed  his  seat,  the  favour  of  an  audience 
whom  his  wealth  had  already  well  disposed. 

This  caused  him  satisfaction,  because  it  proved 
that  he  had  the  faculty  of  speech,  and  therefore  the 
power  to  persuade  and  to  direct.  Speech  was  the 
avenue  to  influence,  and  influence  was  needful  to  the 
attainment  of  that  gratified  self-love  which  appeared 
to  be  the  chiefest  end  of  action  in  the  world. 

When  the  meeting  was  over,  he  descended  to  the 
hall  to  speak  with  some  of  the  important  tradesmen 
of  the  district,  who  gathered  round  him  in  a  ring. 
As  he  was  listening  to  their  views,  propounded  in  a 
naive  dogmatic  manner  that  amused  him,  he  could 
see  the  two  ladies  whom  he  knew  standing  near  the 
door,  as  if  uncertain  whether  to  go  or  stay,  and 
apparently  engaged  in  arguing  the  point.  Once  or 
twice  during  the  address  he  had  caught  the  gaze  of 
Sybil  fixed  upon  him  with  an  earnestness  that  seemed 
sincere.  He  felt  a  certain  inclination  to  speak  to 
her,  but  none  at  all  to  speak  with  Edith,  who  had 
assumed  an  air  half  sly,  half  sullen,  whenever  he 
had  glanced  in  her  direction. 

At  length  he  saw  them  leave,  and  he  concluded 
that  they  had  felt  ashamed  to  stay. 

He  was  forced  to  talk  to  his  supporters  for  ten 
minutes  more,  and  when  at  length  he  reached  the 
vestibule  he  found  the  two  ladies  standing  at  the 
door,  looking  at  the  rain,  which  was  falling  in  tor- 
rents, and  waiting  for  a  cab. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         85 

Going  up  to  them  he  said: 

"  As  you  have  done  me  the  honour  to  come  here, 
will  you  not  allow  me  to  drive  you  home  ?  There  are 
no  cabs  on  a  night  like  this." 

Sybil  answered  promptly: 

'*  Thank  you ;  we  were  beginning  to  despair." 

Edith  remained  silent,  although  endeavouring  to 
smile. 

The  brougham  was  in  waiting,  and  they  entered 
it  at  once.  Ames,  whose  presence  of  mind  was  rarely 
at  fault,  realised  at  once  that  if  he  deposited  Sybil 
first  he  would  be  left  alone  with  Edith,  and  as  this 
perspective  did  not  please  him  he  told  the  footman 
to  drive  first  to  Edith's,  and  then  to  the  Norton- 
Youngs'.  But  Edith  had  partly  overheard. 

"  Where  did  you  tell  him  to  go  first  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  To  your  house,"  he  answered,  in  his  softest  tone. 

"  But  it's  ever  so  much  further  from  here  than 
Sybil's,"  she  protested. 

"  Is  it  really  ?  "  he  asked,  as  though  he  were  learn- 
ing a  new  fact.  "  But  my  chauffeur's  knowledge  of 
short  cuts  is  wonderful,  and  he  will  have  already 
remedied  my  error  in  his  mind.  What  a  wretched 
evening ! " 

Edith  said  no  more,  but  as  the  street  lights  fell 
upon  her  features  he  could  see  that  they  were  con- 
tracted, and  when  they  reached  her  house,  she 
alighted  with  a  mere  "  good-night." 

Sybil  said,  as  soon  as  they  were  alone:  "Your 
speech  was  really  excellent!"  And  he  told  her  how 
pleased  he  had  been  to  perceive  her  there  that  night 
and  how  much  he  hoped  that,  in  the  future,  they 
would  often  meet. 


86        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  You  pleased  us  from  the  first,"  she  said,  "  be- 
cause you  were  not  like  the  other  Croesuses  one 
comes  across.  Call  whenever  you  are  able.  Both  my 
sister  and  myself  are  of  bachelor  proclivities,  if  that's 
of  any  interest  to  you." 

He  seized  this  opportunity  to  say : 

"  I  love  your  frankness,  and  I  understand  that 
you,  with  your  artistic  nature  and  your  freedom 
from  conventionality,  should  have  no  inclination  for 
what  is  really  an  irksome  state.  I  share  that  senti- 
ment myself." 

"  But,"  he  murmured  after  a  pause,  "  if  we  are 
celibates  from  choice,  that  is  no  reason  why  we  should 
not  be  friends  in  the  fullest,  most  sympathetic,  and, 
if  I  may  say  so,  the  most  affectionate  of  ways." 

He  looked  into  her  face  again  to  judge  the  impres- 
sion he  had  made.  And  then  continued : 

"  What  is  there  in  this  life  worth  hoping  for  if 
not  for  friendship  of  this  kind?  We  cannot  live 
without  the  solace  of  such  ties." 

"  Indeed  we  cannot,"  she  exclaimed,  carried  away 
by  his  persuasiveness. 

Then  he  told  her  that  as  soon  as  he  could  spare 
time  from  politics  he  would  call  often  if  she  would 
allow  him,  and  that  would  afford  an  opportunity  of 
pursuing  the  ideal  friendship  which  they  had  begun 
that  night.  But  at  this  she  seemed  a  little  disap- 
pointed, as  though  she  thought  the  time  he  spoke  of 
somewhat  too  remote,  and  he,  perceiving  this,  con- 
tinued : 

"  In  the  meantime,  I  hope  to  come  and  spend  at 
least  one  happy  evening  shortly  at  your  house." 

"  Yes,  come,"  she  said,  "  and  soon." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        87 

They  had  reached  the  Norton-Youngs',  and  she 
alighted.  Ames  desired  nothing  more  than  to  spend 
the  remainder  of  the  evening  with  her.  He  felt  cer- 
tain that  she  would  have  allowed  him  to  do  so  if  he 
had  given  the  slightest  indication  of  his  wish;  but 
the  voice  of  what  he  called  his  Daimon,  or  familiar 
spirit,  sounded  in  his  ears,  and  he  refrained. 

"  Good-night,"  he  said,  pressing  her  hand  affec- 
tionately. 

"  Good-night,"  she  answered,  giving  him  a  last 
look  as  she  unlatched  the  door. 

The  evening,  he  reflected  as  he  drove  home,  had 
been  successful.  The  meeting  had  been  very  satis- 
factory and  his  encounter  with  the  two  women  had 
been  just  as  he  could  have  wished  that  it  should  be. 

He  wondered  whether  he  should  permit  himself  to 
think  that  Sybil  was  more  earnest  than  the  rest.  Per- 
haps, since  she  did  not  seek  marriage.  There  was 
here  a  mystery,  however,  which  he  must  solve  when 
he  had  time. 

The  next  morning,  as  he  was  reading  the  report  of 
his  meeting  in  the  morning  papers,  Giacomo  entered, 
bearing  a  card  which  he  handed  to  his  master. 

Ames  read,  "  Mr.  Francis  Elford,"  and  said  to 
Giacomo: 

"  Show  him  in." 

Ames  gave  a  nod  of  recognition  to  the  dark- 
complexioned  man  of  middle  age  who  stepped  into 
the  room. 

"  You  remember  me  at  Rome  ?  "  the  latter  said. 

Again  Ames  moved  his  head. 

"  Ah !  those  were  the  good  times  when  we  used 
to  live  in  that  large  house  near  the  Corso.  But  that 


88        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  IAMES 

was  seven  years  ago,  and  since  that  I  have  met  with 
nothing  but  misfortune.  My  mining  ventures  all 
proved  bad  and  my  wife  went  off  with  an  Italian 
officer.  I  am  in  the  sorest  straits,  and  I  thought, 
for  the  sake  of  the  old  times  when  we  were  together 
at  the  school  of  art,  that  you  would  help  me.  I'm 
trying  to  start  an  agency  for  clerks,  but  it  requires 
a  little  outlay,  and  I  am  without  funds." 

Ames  said: 

"  I  remember  you,  my  friend,  when  you  were  rich. 
The  last  time  I  saw  you  in  the  street  you  invited  me 
to  dinner,  saying  that  you  would  write  and  name 
the  day.  That  day  you  never  named  and  never 
meant  to  name.  But  such  treatment  you  considered 
good  enough  for  me.  And  now  you  come  and  ask 
me  to  assist  you !  " 

Elford  began  a  protest,  but  Ames  stopped  him : 

"  Not  another  word.  I  know  your  type.  Through 
the  ages  it  has  never  changed.  Here  is  a  five-pound 
note.  Take  it  or  leave  it,  as  you  please." 

Elford  had  grown  crimson.  Evidently  a  struggle 
was  taking  place  in  him  between  his  remaining  pride 
and  his  desire  to  obtain  the  money.  Finally  he 
took  the  note  and  withdrew  with  a  muttered 
"  Thanks." 

When  he  was  gone,  Ames  called  Giacomo. 

"  Never  again  admit  that  man." 

When  the  Friday  came,  Ames  passed  the  afternoon 
at  his  rooms  in  Jermyn  Street,  reading  a  French  play 
which  had  been  sent  to  him  by  its  author,  and  ar- 
ranging the  modelling  stand  which  he  had  procured. 
When  six  o'clock  approached,  after  instructing  the 
valet  to  admit  a  lady  asking  for  the  name  of  Ames, 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         89 

he  waited,  not  without  some  flutter  of  excitement,  for 
the  arrival  of  the  corsetiere.  It  seemed  to  him  almost 
wonderful  that  he  should  have  laid  this  plot — the  first 
of  the  kind  that  he  had  ever  laid — and  he  reasoned 
that  he  must  be  more  than  ordinarily  beneath  the 
influence  of  the  sex  impulsion  which  had  made  him 
scheme  like  this.  He  would  not  admit  that  he  had 
any  settled  end  in  view.  He  had  asked  her  to  come 
there  because  he  felt  that  he  would  like  to  be  with 
her  alone,  to  talk  to  her,  to  study  her,  and,  no  doubt, 
make  love  to  her.  But  there  was  to  be  no  trap.  She 
would  be  free  to  go. 

At  length  he  heard  a  ring,  and  presently  Claire 
entered,  bearing  a  small  parcel. 

She  started  slightly  when  she  saw  there  was  no 
one  in  the  room  but  Ames. 

"  I  regret  to  say,"  said  Ames,  "  that  the  lady  has 
not  yet  arrived.  I  should  have  let  you  know  before. 
It  is  inexcusable  of  me  to  have  given  you  the  trouble 
of  coming  here  in  vain." 

She  answered : 

"  Oh !  it  is  no  trouble.  Perhaps  you  will  let  us 
know  when  the  lady  is  in  town." 

With  this  she  was  withdrawing,  when  Ames 
stopped  her. 

"  Do  not  go  so  soon.  Give  me  your  parcel  and 
let  me  beg  of  you  to  take  a  seat.  I  saw  from  the 
first  that  you  were  a  lady." 

He  waited  to  see  what  effect  the  latter  part  of  this 
little  speech  had  had,  well  knowing  the  psychology 
of  class. 

She  said,  abandoning  the  packet  with  some  hesi- 
tation and  taking  the  proffered  chair: 


90         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  My  father  was  a  French  master  and  a  Bachdier- 
es-Lettres.  My  mother  was  an  artist's  daughter." 

"I  knew,"  exclaimed  Ames,  with  increased  con- 
viction, "  that  I  was  not  wrong." 

"  But,"  she  continued,  "  my  father  died  while  I 
was  still  at  school,  and  I  lost  my  mother,  with  whom 
I  lived,  three  years  ago.  Then  I  went  into  business. 
That  is  my  history." 

"I,  too,"  said  Ames,  "have  lost  both  parents, 
and  I,  too,  would  no  doubt  have  been  in  business 
had  I  not  been  left  some  little  means." 

Then  they  chatted  for  a  while,  he  telling  her  of 
his  love  for  art,  of  his  travels,  and  she  listening  to 
him  with  apparent  interest,  until  at  length,  looking 
at  the  clock,  she  suddenly  exclaimed: 

"  It's  getting  late ;  I  must  be  going,  or  they'll 
wonder  what  I  have  been  doing  since  the  lady  was 
not  there." 

Ames  said: 

"We'll  soon  get  over  that.  Let  me  ask  you  to 
take  your  own  measurements  and  order  a  corset  upon 
it.  I'm  certain  it  will  fit." 

"Oh!  I'm  afraid  you  don't  quite  realise  how  fig- 
ures differ.  With  our  system,  one-sixteenth  of  an 
inch  would  spoil  it  all.  We  really  must  wait  till  the 
lady  comes." 

As  she  was  moving  towards  the  door,  Ames  said: 

"  I  will  be  frank  with  you.  There  is  no  lady.  I 
have  no  relative  in  the  wide  world.  I  invented  this 
little  fiction  simply  because,  ever  since  the  day  I  saw 
you  first,  I  have  been  longing  to  know  you,  and  I 
could  think  of  no  better  means.  Oh,  do  not  be 
alarmed!  You  run  no  danger  here.  Take  your 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         91 

measurements  and  satisfy  your  people.  Then,  let 
us  part  friends." 

"  Really,  I  am  embarrassed.  Do  you  mean  to  say 
that  you  contrived  all  this  simply  because  you — 
wanted  to  know  me?  " 

"  Purely  on  that  account.  I  would  contrive  a 
great  deal  more  for  the  same  pleasure." 

"  And  do  you  insist  upon  my  sending  you  a  cor- 
set? " 

"  I  earnestly  request  that  you  will  be  so  kind." 

Unable  to  repress  a  smile,  she  said: 

"  I  need  not  measure,  for  I  know  the  figures  well, 
but  really  it  is  the  first  time  I  have  ever  taken  such 
an  order." 

Gazing  at  her  beauty,  he  inquired: 

"  Do  you  live  at  your  place  in  Regent  Street  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  live  with  a  friend  in  Chelsea." 

"Do  you  like  the  Opera?" 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  love  it." 

"  Will  you  let  me  take  you  there  to-morrow 
night?  " 

"  I  should  so  much  like  to  go  with  you  because, 
although  I've  known  you  for  such  a  little  time,  I've 
confidence  in  you.  But  it's  overlate,  and  my 
friend " 

"  Will  not  object  when  she  knows  that  you  are 
with  me?  " 

She  still  hesitated  for  some  moments,  then  con- 
sented, and  so  it  was  arranged.  He  would  wait  for 
her  in  St.  James's  Park,  since  it  was  Saturday  and 
her  afternoon  was  free.  Then  they  would  dine  to- 
gether and  go  to  Covent  Garden,  where  Melba  was 
to  sing. 


92        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"But  dress?"  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  we  will  take  the  places  where  it's  not  en- 
forced." 

She  assented  to  this  readily,  and  then,  with  cheeks 
aglow,  she  offered  her  hand  to  him  as  she  said  good- 
bye. He  pressed  it  warmly,  but  discreetly,  retain- 
ing it  a  moment  while  he  gazed  into  her  face.  Then, 
when  she  had  gone,  he  lit  a  cigarette.  He  had  suc- 
ceeded in  inspiring  confidence  and  the  interview  had 
been  as  he  desired.  He  was  excessively  attracted  and 
he  knew  he  was  embarked  upon  an  adventure  which 
might  lead  him  far.  But  it  must  not  take  him  far- 
ther than  he  wished  to  go.  In  this  affair,  as  in  the 
rest,  he  must  never  fail  to  dominate  himself. 

Punctually  at  six  next  day  Ames  was  in  St. 
James's  Park,  walking  by  the  water's  edge  and  glanc- 
ing around  in  search  of  Claire.  The  sun,  shining 
through  a  somewhat  murky  atmosphere,  shed  a  pale 
gold  light  upon  the  gardens.  The  trees  in  their 
summer  foliage  stood  out  against  a  thinly  clouded 
sky.  Boys  rowed  upon  the  artificial  lake  and  the 
ducks  scrimmaged  for  the  bread-crumbs  thrown  them 
by  the  children  on  the  shore.  An  urchin  fished  for 
minnows  with  a  string.  The  place  was  sufficiently 
reposeful,  and  Ames,  in  a  happy,  expectant  mood, 
strolled  up  and  down  the  bank,  occasionally  looking 
at  his  watch. 

At  length  he  saw  a  girl  in  dark  blue  silk  coming 
towards  him  on  one  of  the  side  paths.  He  recog- 
nised at  once  the  symmetry  and  grace  of  Claire,  and 
as  she  drew  nearer  he  noticed  the  pleasure  which  her 
face  betrayed.  He  knew  quite  well  that  particular 
expression  which  women's  countenances  assume  when 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES        93 

they  are  in  the  society  of  men  from  whom  they  expect 
love  or  sustenance,  or  both. 

He  led  her  to  a  seat.  It  was  so  charming  of  her 
to  have  come,  so  good  to  have  had  confidence  in  him, 
so  kind!  He  knew  they  would  be  friends.  He  had 
known  it  from  the  first,  and  now  he  felt  as  though 
they  were  already  old,  old  friends. 

She  listened  to  him  approvingly  and  thoughtfully, 
and  when  he  had  finished  told  him  some  of  her  af- 
fairs, of  her  life  when  she  was  a  schoolgirl  with 
her  parents,  and  the  hardships  which  they  had  en- 
dured, of  her  choice  of  the  business  in  which  he  had 
discovered  her,  because  it  was  one  that  was  conducted 
entirely  by  women,  and  in  which  the  tyrannous  shop- 
walker was  unknown.  She  had  risen  since  she  had 
been  there,  she  said.  In  a  month  or  two,  perhaps 
she  would  be  premiere. 

"  How  nice  it  must  be,"  said  Ames,  "  to  pass  one's 
days  in  enhancing  and  correcting  Nature ! " 

"  But  it's  no  easy  task.  There  are  ladies  who  are 
never  pleased." 

"  Not  even  when  you  attend  to  them?  " 

«0h,  no." 

*'  They  would  like  to  equal  you,  and  as  they  can- 
not, they're  dissatisfied ! " 

She  laughed. 

"  If  you  pay  compliments  like  that  I  shall  begin 
to  fear  that  you're  not  sincere." 

"  And  that  would  be  very  wrong." 

"  I  hope  so." 

He  looked  at  her  for  some  moments  without  speak- 
ing, feeling  himself  drawn  towards  her  by  a  magnet- 
ism which  it  seemed  wrong  to  check,  asking  himself 


94         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

whether  it  would  not  be  wise  to  secure  so  healthy 
and  so  beautiful  a  woman  for  a  wife.  Would  the 
heavens  fall  if  he  married  out  of  caste? 

"  But,"  she  said,  "  there  has  been  in  my  life  a 
great  misfortune." 

"  A  great  misfortune?  "  he  repeated,  scanning  her 
anew. 

"Yes,  but  I  cannot  tell  it  you.  Some  day,  per- 
liaps.  Not  now." 

She  had  grown  so  serious  that  Ames  thought  it 
"better  to  refrain  from  pressing  her,  although  he  was 
excessively  perplexed.  He  told  himself  that  it  would 
not  be  very  long  before  he  ascertained  what  this  mys- 
terious misfortune  was.  They  chatted  for  an  hour 
longer,  and  then,  when  it  was  time  to  seek  the  res- 
taurant, they  strolled  up  to  Piccadilly  Circus,  thence 
to  Garrard  Street,  in  which  was  the  French  hotel 
at  which  they  were  to  dine. 

All  the  while  she  was  somewhat  apprehensive  lest 
she  should  be  seen  by  some  of  her  colleagues  in  the 
shop,  or  by  one  of  the  principals  themselves. 

"  The  girls,"  she  said,  "  would  worry  me  to  death 
to  know  who  my  gentleman  was." 

He  did  not  like  the  term  "  my  gentleman,"  so  he 
ordered  the  dinner  without  replying. 

But  when,  a  little  later,  he  looked  at  her  as  she 
sat  before  him,  her  face  a  little  flushed  by  the  cham- 
pagne, he  could  not  help  admitting  that  she  was 
physically  as  fine  a  type  as  it  was  possible  to  see. 
At  all  events,  her  face  was  perfect. 

But  although  Claire  sustained  the  conversation, 
there  came  a  stage  during  the  meal  when  neither 
seemed  able  to  find  fresh  themes.  Many  occurred  to 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         95 

Ames,  but  he  dismissed  them  as  unsuited  to  her  scope, 
and  for  a  brief  moment  he  realised  how  drab  exist- 
ence might  become  when  linked  to  that  of  a  woman 
whose  mind  had  been  trained  in  the  warping  sphere 
of  trade. 

When  the  dinner  was  over,  they  walked  through 
the  French  quarter  to  the  Opera,  where  Ames  had 
secured  seats.  As  they  were  going  up  the  staircase 
she  asked  him  what  the  performance  was.  Not  hav- 
ing thought  of  ascertaining,  he  did  not  know;  but 
when  they  reached  their  places,  and  he  procured  a 
programme,  he  exclaimed: 

"  It's  Faust." 

She  started  slightly. 

"  Do  you  not  like  Faust?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  like  the  music." 

"Not  the  story?" 

*'  It  makes  me  sad." 

He  reflected  for  a  moment.  Then,  to  change  the 
theme,  he  said: 

"  Look  at  that  lady  down  there  in  that  box  and 
tell  me  what  you  think  of  her." 

He  handed  her  a  glass  and  Claire  looked  through 
it  at  a  woman  glittering  with  diamonds  who  was 
leaning  back  in  her  chair  and  gazing  at  the  stalls. 

"  Oh !  I  know  her.  We  make  her  corsets.  That's 
Lady  Ventner.  Very  elegant  indeed !  " 

"  Is  that  the  lady  whose  husband's  mad  ?  " 

"  I  believe  he  is.  But  of  course  she  does  not 
speak  to  us  of  that.  One  day  she  asked  me,  I  re- 
member, to  look  at  her  figure  and  to  tell  her  frankly 
if  I  could  detect  a  fault.  And  I  really  could  not." 

Ames,  looking  through  the  glass,  studied  the  pure 


96        THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

curves  of  the  neck  and  shoulders  and  the  fine  pose 
of  the  head. 

He  said:    "  She's  rather  thin." 

She  laughed. 

*'  Are  you  fond  of  massive  beauty?  " 

He  whispered : 

"  No,  I  think  that  beauty  should  be  just  like 
yours." 

This  seemed  to  please  her,  but  it  did  not  raise 
the  colour  of  her  cheeks  as  he  expected  that  it  would, 
at  least  as  far  as  he  could  see  in  the  imperfect  light. 
They  watched  the  people  entering  the  boxes  and  the 
stalls  until  the  orchestra  began  the  overture.  Then 
they  listened  to  the  music,  following  the  setting  to 
it  of  the  Faust  legend,  with  its  philosophy  of  evil, 
the  longing  of  the  withered  doctor  for  the  joys  of 
love  and  his  transformation  with  the  aid  of  Satan 
into  the  youthful  cavalier  who  leads  the  humble  Mar- 
guerite astray. 

The  prima  donna,  who  was  young  and  sympa- 
thetic, played  the  role  with  great  simplicity  and 
charm. 

"  Non  monsieur,  je  ne  suis  ni  demoiselle  ni  belle, 
Et  je  n'ai  pas  besoin  de  bras  de  cavalier." 

Ames  noticed  that  Claire  looked  down  at  times, 
and  once  during  a  love  duo  he  was  certain  that  her 
eyes  were  moist. 

"Why,"  she  asked  in  the  entr'acte,  "why  must 
that  beautiful  Faust  with  such  a  lovely  voice  be 
wicked?  " 

Ames  said: 

"  Because  there  would  have  been  no  drama  if  he 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         97 

had  been  good."  Then  drawing  near  to  her  he  mur- 
mured :  "  Do  you  not  see  that  in  this  Faust  story 
there  is  a  profound  realisation  of  the  love  impulse, 
of  the  yearning  which  no  one  can  escape?  Faust  is 
not  really  evil,  but  he  is  driven  by  this  force  too 
strongly  for  his  power  of  resistance.  He  is  at- 
tracted by  the  innocence  and  charm  of  Marguerite, 
and  he  is  blind  to  the  consequences  which  may  ensue. 
And  so  it  always  is.  When  we  are  under  the  spell 
of  love,  we  cannot  think  of  anything  beyond;  we 
must  fulfil  our  destiny.  Here,  in  this  story,  then, 
is  a  mingling  of  true  philosophy  with  ancient  super- 
stition. Satan  and  hell  are  fictions  of  bygone  days. 
Love  only  is  eternal." 

"  But,"  she  said,  "  I  hope  you  don't  approve  of 
the  way  Faust  acted  towards  Marguerite?  " 

"  No,  of  course  it  would  never  do  if  it  became  the 
rule." 

But  when  the  last  scene  came,  and  Faust's  sonor- 
ous damnation  was  accomplished,  Ames,  moved  in 
spite  of  himself  by  the  ancient  blame  attaching  to 
all  Fausts,  could  not  repress  a  feeling  of  dissatis- 
faction with  himself  for  being  engaged  upon  an 
enterprise  which  could  not  well  be  reconciled  with 
any  of  the  long-accepted  views  of  commendable  con- 
duct. This  feeling  lasted  until  they  reached  the 
street,  but  it  disappeared  when  he  took  her  arm,  and 
they  walked  along  in  quiet  sympathy. 

But  Ames  realised  that  in  his  position,  with  his 
schemes  for  the  future,  he  must  not  lose  time  in 
aimless  courting.  He  must  discover,  and  that  very 
night,  what  his  relations  to  this  enchantress  were 
to  be.  Therefore,  when  they  reached  King  William 


98         THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Street,  and  she  declared  that  she  must  hurry  to  catch 
the  last  of  the  Chelsea  cars,  he  whispered : 

"  Miss  that  car.  It  is  still  early.  I  cannot  bear 
the  thought  of  losing  you  so  soon.  At  home,  the 
supper  is  all  laid.  I  entreat  you  come  and  sup  with 
me.  Then  I  will  take  you  home." 

'*  How  can  you  ask  me  to  do  that  ?  " 

"  Did  you  not  say  that  you  have  confidence  in 
me?" 

"I  had." 

*'  I  cannot  guess  what  I  have  done  to  lose  that 
confidence?" 

She  shook  her  head. 

"I  believe  in  your  good  intentions,  but  you  ex- 
plained to  me  just  now  that  impulses  may  sometimes 
be  beyond  control." 

"  But  mine  are  not,  so  you  may  safely  come.  I 
certainly  shall  not  think  you  a  true  friend  if  you 
refuse." 

He  had  already  hailed  a  passing  hansom,  and  he 
succeeded  in  inducing  her  to  enter  it  in  spite  of  her 
reluctance. 

"  Let  us,"  he  said,  as  they  drove  along,  "  be  really 
friends." 

But  she  did  not  answer,  remaining  taciturn 
throughout  the  drive,  gazing  abstractedly  into  the 
street  until  they  reached  the  house.  Then  when  they 
alighted  and  he  unlatched  the  door  she  stepped  in 
listlessly. 

As  he  said,  the  supper  was  already  laid,  and  he 
asked  her  at  once  to  take  a  seat  at  the  round  table, 
on  which  he  had  been  careful  to  have  placed  a  few 
of  Benoist's  edibles  and  some  vintage  wine. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES         99 

"  My  man  has  gone  to  bed,"  he  said,  "  so  we  shall 
have  to  serve  ourselves." 

She  scarcely  ate  what  he  placed  upon  her  plate 
and  did  not  drink  the  glass  of  Pommery  he  poured 
for  her.  She  answered,  somewhat  briefly,  the  re- 
marks he  made.  He  saw  that  she  was  not  happy, 
and  he  realised  that  all  that  he  might  say  to  a  woman 
in  her  frame  of  mind  would  be  of  no  effect. 

As  soon  as  the  meal  was  over,  therefore,  he  rose 
and  led  her  to  an  arm-chair.  Then,  placing  himself 
upon  a  stool  beside  her  and  looking  up  into  her 
face,  he  said: 

"  I  asked  you  to  come  here  because  of  my  desire 
to  be  with  you  as  long  as  possible,  because  of  my 
esteem  for  you,  my  deep  affection." 

And  in  reality  he  was  sincere.  He  felt  at  that 
moment  drawn  towards  her  irresistibly. 

"  And  if  I  hesitated,"  she  answered,  "  it  was  not 
because  I  did  not  want  to  come,  but  because  I  feared 
you  would  think  less  of  me  for  coming." 

"Ah,  what  a  wrong  idea!  Do  you  then  care  a 
little  for  what  I  think?  " 

"  Oh,  yes — a  great  deal." 

He  drew  closer  to  her. 

"Claire — may  I  not  call  you  Claire? — how  good 
it  is  of  you  to  grace  my  bachelor's  retreat!  By 
your  presence  here  the  place  seems  changed,  and  I 
myself  seem  changed.  Instead  of  sitting  over  in  that 
corner  with  a  stupid  book,  I  am  lying  at  your  side, 
my  eyes  rejoiced  by  the  sight  of  so  much  beauty! 
Ah!  why  are  you  not  here  always?  Why  can  you 
not  be  always  here?  " 

She  said: 


100       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  I  am  fond  of  clearness.  I  entreat  you  to  say 
at  once  what  you  desire  that  I  should  be  to  you." 

He  was  surprised  by  the  directness  of  the  ques- 
tion and  was  inclined  to  take  it  as  a  bid  for  matri- 
mony. Nevertheless  he  answered  promptly,  but  with 
a  mental  reservation: 

"  Whatever  you  wish  to  be." 

He  perceived  that  this  answer  had  embarrassed 
her,  which  was  what  it  was  meant  to  do. 

She  said  after  a  long  pause : 

"  I  will  not  be  your  mistress,  and  I  may  not  be 
your  wife." 

Suspecting  the  truth,  he  simply  asked : 

"Why  not?" 

**  Because  I  am  not  as  you  think  and  it  is  not  in 
my  nature  to  deceive." 

He  took  her  hand  and  whispered : 

"  Tell  me  all  your  little  trouble,  as  a  friend." 

A  tear  glistened  in  her  eye. 

"  Oh,  no ;  you  will  think  so  ill  of  me." 

"That,  never!"  he  exclaimed,  and  again  he  mur- 
mured: "Tell  me." 

"  Three  years  ago,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone  and 
with  evident  suffering,  "  I  was  engaged  to  a  Belgian 
artist.  The  wedding  was  arranged,  the  date  was 
fixed.  A  week  before,  he  asked  me  to  go  for  a  day 
upon  the  river.  I  trusted  him,  and  went.  He  in- 
duced me  to  stay  longer  than  a  day  and  then  he  left 
me." 

Ames,  only  partially  surprised,  inquired: 

"  And  is  that  all?  " 

She  understood  his  meaning. 

"  .Yes,  that  is  all— quite  all." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       101 

"And  since?" 

"  I  have  had  no — love  affairs." 

He  gazed  into  her  face  and  was  convinced  she 
spoke  the  truth.  On  the  whole,  the  information  did 
not  trouble  him.  Indeed,  it  was  somewhat  welcome, 
because  it  relieved  him  of  a  responsibility  which  he 
was  not  anxious  to  assume. 

"  How  frank  of  you  to  tell  me,"  he  exclaimed ; 
"but  surely  in  such  a  case  you  have  no  cause  for 
self-reproach.  You  trusted  and  you  were  deceived." 

"  But  I  do  reproach  myself,  and  greatly." 

"  Listen  to  me,"  he  said.  "  You  cannot  live  like 
that,  ever  at  work  without  the  consolation  which  all 
human  beings  need,  without  the  incense  which  your 
beauty  merits." 

But  she  had  sprung  up  from  her  chair. 

"Oh,  no,  no;  not  that!" 

She  had  taken  up  her  jacket  and  was  moving  to 
the  door. 

"Well,  but,"  he  inquired,  "what?" 

"  I  know  I  am  illogical.  I  cannot  help  it.  Thank 
you  for  the  Opera.  Good-night." 

Perceiving  that  she  was  determined,  he  opened  the 
door  for  her,  then  followed  her  to  the  front  door, 
which  he  unlatched. 

A  hansom  was  passing  at  that  moment.  She  hailed 
it,  and  while  Ames  looked  on  in  silence  she  jumped 
into  it,  gave  her  address  to  the  driver,  and  after  a 
second  "  good-night,"  accompanied  by  a  saddened 
smile,  drove  off. 

Ames  returned  to  his  parlour,  and,  throwing  him- 
self into  an  arm-chair,  burst  out  into  a  laugh. 

Marriage!     She  wanted  marriage,  that  was  clear, 


102       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

and  he  realised  that  if  there  were  a  thousand  Claires, 
one  more  enchanting  than  another,  nothing  would 
induce  him  to  marry  one  of  them.  But  he  was  angry 
with  her  for  having  come,  and,  having  come,  for 
having  gone;  angry  with  himself  for  having  been  so 
deeply  stirred  and  for  being  left  with  nothing  more 
substantial  than  the  recollection  of  her  beauty. 

He  rose  and  paced  the  room.  It  was  very  well, 
but,  while  all  around  him  were  daily  partaking  of 
the  feast  of  love,  he,  with  his  famous  prudence  or 
his  virtue,  was  positively  starving,  and  when,  for 
once,  he  was  about  to  do  what  was,  after  all,  an 
unwise  thing,  thisr  was  how  it  ended. 

He  looked  at  the  supper-table  and  at  the  chair 
in  which  she  had  sat.  Then,  with  a  shrug,  he  put 
on  his  coat  and  left.  This,  he  determined,  would 
be  the  last  episode  of  its  kind  in  his  career.  He  had 
given  way  for  a  moment  to  the  impulses  of  youth. 
In  future  he  would  be  more  circumspect — what  the 
world  in  its  hypocrisy  would  call  more  moral. 


VI 

WHEN  he  awoke  the  next  morning,  Ames  jumped 
out  of  bed,  performed  some  exercises  with  a  pair  of 
clubs,  and  mentally  pulled  himself  together,  deter- 
mined to  shake  dff  the  experience  of  the  previous 
night.  Had  he  followed  an  inclination  that  was 
strong  within  him  he  would  have  written  to  Claire 
for  another  meeting,  but  that,  his  inner  judgment 
told  him,  would  have  been  unwise.  Besides,  was  he 
not  to  dine  that  night  with  Lady  Ventner?  And 
would  she  not  provide  the  best  of  antidotes  to 
Claire? 

All  that  day  he  worked  with  Sims  on  the  journal- 
istic scheme,  which  took  a  large  place  in  his  thoughts 
as  the  days  went  by,  receiving  the  visits  of  master 
printers  and  describing  to  them  the  paper  which  he 
wished  to  found.  Then,  in  the  evening,  he  went  to 
Portman  Square.  Lady  Ventner  received  him  with  a 
shade  of  coldness  in  her  cordiality. 

"  First,"  she  said,  "  I  must  explain  that  the  couple 
whom  I  had  invited  to  meet  you  have  at  the  last 
moment  wired  that  owing  to  a  loss  they  could  not 
come.  That  is  why  you  see  me  here  alone." 

She  continued  after  a  slight  pause : 

"  Since  I  saw  you  last,  I've  read  your  speech  at 
Shadley.  After  I  had  read  it,  I  almost  resolved  to 
quarrel  with  you.  I  was  surprised  that,  consider- 
ing what  you  said  when  you  were  here,  you  should 
have  uttered  anything  so  red,  so  socialistic.  It's 

103 


104.       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

simply  inconceivable  that  a  man  like  you  should  be 
your  own  enemy  and  ours." 

Ames  saw  by  her  expression  that  she  was  in  earn- 
est. 

"  May  I  ask  if  you  read  that  speech  attentively  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  did." 

"  And  you  did  not  perceive  its  dual  aim  ?  " 

"  Really,  I  must  ask  you  to  explain ! " 

"  I  would  not  explain  to  many,  but  I  will  to  you. 
Power  is  passing  from  your  hands  into  the  hands 
of  others,  and  in  politics  power  is  the  real  object 
of  pursuit.  If  you  run  with  the  possessors  of  it 
you  can  hope  to  guide  it,  in  a  certain  measure,  to 
your  ends.  If  you  oppose  it  you  are  stultified  or 
crushed.  Not  wishing  to  be  either,  I  lean,  appar- 
ently, at  present  to  the  side  of  the  growing  strength, 
the  side  with  which  your  own  must  some  day  compro- 
mise or  coalesce." 

"  Never !  "  she  cried,  with  indignation.  "  Never 
shall  we  compromise  with  the  curs  who  wish  to  drag 
us  down,  with  the  tyrants  who  are  wanting  to  re- 
duce us  all  to  slavery ;  who  would  make  the  world 
one  great  drab  place  of  mediocrity;  and  I'm  aston- 
ished that  you,  with  your  artistic  tastes,  with  the 
means  which  you  possess  of  gratifying  them,  should 
even  for  one  moment  lean  towards  these  faineants. 
What  little  they  possess  has  come  to  them  from  the 
suffrage  system  which  was  framed  before  it  was  ever 
thought  that  these  bandits  would  arise.  But  we  can 
alter  that.  We  can  make  laws,  if  necessary,  to 
check  this  socialism,  if  not  to  stamp  it  out,  and  it's 
to  men  like  you  we  look  to  make  such  laws.  Instead 
of  that,  you  talk  of  countenancing  this  heresy  for 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       105 

some  far-distant  end.  Now  I  warn  you  that  if  you 
wish  to  be  with  us,  to  have  a  place  in  our  set,  you'll 
have  to  say,  and  clearly,  whi-ch  side  you're  really 
on." 

Her  face  was  flushed,  and  he  perceived  again  that 
the  spirit  of  partisanship  was  strong  within  her.  He 
said,  after  a  slight  pause: 

"  Let  us  not  talk  of  politics.  Life,  after  all,  has 
better  things.  And  even  if  we  do  talk  of  politics, 
let  us  not  take  them  too  much  to  heart." 

"  But  I  do  take  them  very  much  to  heart.  Are 
we  not  attacked  in  our  very  vitals?  Do  they  not 
threaten  to  dispossess  us — to  take  from  us  all  that 
makes  life  sweet?  " 

Ames  laughed. 

"  You  need  not  be  afraid  of  that.  Their  leaders 
are  too  fond  of  the  sweets  of  life  and  don't  want  to 
be  dispossessed  themselves." 

"  Oh !  then  you  do  not  take  them  altogether  seri- 
ously? " 

"  Not  more  than  they  take  themselves." 

"  I  certainly  admire  the  way  in  which  you  dispose 
of  them,  but  I'm  beginning  to  suspect  that  there 
isn't  much  that  you  think  important." 

"  There,  if  I  may  say  so,  you  are  wrong.  I  should 
think  it  of  supreme  importance  if  I  gained  your 
friendship,  and  that  is  why  I'm  anxious  that  no 
politics  should  come  between  us.  With  your  own 
artistic  sense,  which  is  evidenced  by  every  one  of 
your  surroundings,  you  surely  feel  that  politics  must 
always  be  subordinate  to  art." 

"  But  if  we  lose  our  means,  how  can  we  indulge  in 
art?" 


106      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  It  is  precisely  those  very  means  that  I  am  work- 
ing to  preserve  to  you." 

"  Mr.  Ames,  you  are  astonishing !  One  cannot 
tell  what  you  really  mean !  " 

Ames  thought,  "  As  long  as  you  cannot,  I  am 
satisfied."  He  said: 

"  It's  very  simple.    I  mean  precisely  what  I  say." 

"But  what  you  say  is  not  explicit." 

"  Forgive  me,  I  will  try  to  speak  more  clearly  in 
the  future." 

The  dinner  was  announced. 

In  the  fine  Corinthian  dining-room  Ames  sat  at 
the  side  of  his  hostess  in  a  sufficiently  happy  frame 
of  mind.  It  pleased  him  to  be  in  this  handsome 
house,  with  this  well-born  woman,  who,  in  the  light  of 
the  table  lamp,  her  neck  encircled  by  a  string  of 
pearls,  looked  soft  and  delicate  and  pretty.  Once 
the  conversation  had  deflected  from  the  theme  of 
politics,  he  did  his  best  to  prevent  it  from  returning, 
and  he  spoke  of  the  newest  books  and  plays,  perceiv- 
ing, as  before,  that  her  judgment  on  these  things 
was  sound. 

After  a  while  he  said : 

"  And  you  live  in  this  large  house  quite  alone  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  have  a  companion,  Miss  Sinclair,  who 
happens  to  be  away  at  present.  You,  I  think,  are 
quite  alone  ?  " 

"  Unfortunately,  quite." 

"Unfortunately?" 

"  Yes,  I  say  unfortunately,  because  I  am  con- 
vinced that  it  is  not  wise  to  be  quite  alone  in  life." 

Probably  the  presence  of  the  servants  prevented 
her  from  continuing  upon  this  theme.  She  was  si- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       107 

lent  for  some  moments,  then  she  spoke  about  the 
weather.  In  the  drawing-room,  later,  she  showed 
him  photographs  of  her  relatives  and  friends,  most 
of  whom  bore  titles.  Of  a  stately  old  lady  with 
white  hair  she  said: 

"  This  is  my  mother,  who  died  five  years  ago." 
Of  a  man  of  military  aspect :  "  This  is  my  father, 
who  was  killed  in  hunting."  Showing  the  portrait 
of  a  man  of  middle  age  who  resembled  her,  she  said : 
"  This  is  my  brother,  the  late  Lord  Yare,"  and 
placing  in  his  hand  the  portrait  of  a  lady :  "  This 
is  my  friend,  Lady  Blake." 

And  Ames,  who,  though  of  good  descent,  had  no 
nobility  on  his  ancestral  tree,  looked  at  the  photo- 
graphs, conscious  of  a  vexatious  feeling  of  dimin- 
ished personality.  It  was  quite  extraordinary  how 
great  was  the  power  of  these  little  words  of  titular 
distinction  to  lend  a  halo  to  the  people  bearing 
them! 

"  And  this  ?  "  he  asked,  pointing  to  the  framed 
portrait  of  a  man  of  middle  age  which  stood  upon 
a  cabinet. 

"  That,"  she  answered,  not  without  constraint, 
"  that  is  my  husband." 

There  was  a  silence  while  Ames  examined  closely 
the  somewhat  drawn  and  tired  features  and  the 
rather  vague  expression  of  the  eyes. 

"  How  is  he?  "  he  inquired. 

She  left  the  photos  and  took  a  low  arm-chair. 

"  He  is  to-day  as  he  was  yesterday,  as  he  will  be 
in  twenty  years,  should  he  live  as  long — quite  mad. 
That  is  the  tragedy  of  my  existence." 

"  Forgive  me,"  said  Ames,  taking  a  seat  beside 


108       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

her,  "for  having  touched  upon  a  painful  subject. 
I  did  not  know — I  had  only  vaguely  heard." 

"  His  father  was  mad  before  him." 

Ames  thought :  "  And  yet  you  married  him !  " 
He  said : 

"  I  sympathise  with  you  sincerely.  Yours  is  a 
cruel  case ! " 

He  gazed  into  her  face  and  then  continued: 

"And  are  you  not  sometimes  lonely,  dull?" 

"  Of  course  I  have  many  friends." 

"  And  true  ones  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  think  so." 

"  Then  you  are  very  fortunate." 

"  Have  you  no  friends  ?  " 

"  Many  call  themselves  my  friends,  but  I  do  not 
call  them  mine." 

"  Perhaps  you  ask  too  much  of  friendship." 

But  suddenly  Ames  had  risen  from  his  chair,  re- 
treated a  few  yards  away  from  her,  and  then  ex- 
claimed enthusiastically : 

"  Oh,  if  you  would  only  let  me !  " 

She  looked  at  him  for  an  explanation. 

"If  you  would  only  let  me  paint  your  portrait? 
In  my  experience  I  have  never  seen  a  face  that  would 
so  well  repay  an  artist's  pains.  I  can  see  in  my 
mind  the  picture  I  could  make  of  you.  It  would 
be  the  best  that  I  have  ever  made,  because  it  has 
never  been  my  fortune,  up  to  now,  to  meet  a  face 
that  so  perfectly  united  the  requirements  of  my 
especial  genre.  I  thought  your  type  had  not  sur- 
vived the  court  of  Louis  XIV.  I  see  that  I  was  mis- 
taken. Now,  will  you  consent?  " 

She  said  at  once: 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       109 

"  Oh,  yes,  with  the  greatest  pleasure.  I  feel,  I 
know  that  you  would  paint  me  just  as  I  should 
wish  to  be." 

"  Just  as  you  really  are." 

And  it  was  soon  arranged.  She  would  give  him 
at  least  two  sittings  in  each  week  until  the  season 
closed,  and  he  would  do  his  utmost  to  succeed. 

There  remained,  however,  the  important  question 
of  the  place.  Ames  said  that  although,  if  she  wished 
it,  he  would  come  to  her,  it  would  certainly  be  more 
in  the  picture's  interest  if  she  would  come  to  him, 
since  he  possessed  a  studio  with  the  needful  light  and 
the  appliances. 

She  agreed  that  the  argument  was  valid,  yet  she 
had  some  scruples.  "  What  if  she  were  seen  ?  " 

"  Almost  as  soon  as  you  enter  my  house,"  he 
said,  "you  become  invisible  to  anyone  but  me." 

"  That  sounds  like  a  tale  of  *  The  Arabian 
Nights.' " 

"  Well,  come  and  see." 

She  promised  she  would  come,  stipulating  only 
that  she  would  not  be  kept  waiting  for  a  moment 
when  she  came. 

"  I  have  a  man,"  he  said,  "  who  is  the  incarnation 
of  discretion." 

"  And  you  won't  talk  politics  while  painting?  " 

"No." 

Then  they  settled  the  details  of  costume  and  the 
arrangement  of  the  hair,  and  he  stayed  an  hour 
chatting  with  her,  doing  his  utmost  to  amuse  her. 
Surely  this  enterprise  was  choicer  than  any  that  had 
been  offered  him  before,  and  he  hoped  that  it  would 
end  in  a  satisfactory  and  pleasurable  way. 


110       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

When  he  reached  home  that  night,  two  letters  were 
awaiting  him.  One  was  from  Sybil,  reproaching  him 
with  having  failed  to  come  to  her  without  so  much 
as  sending  an  excuse.  The  other  was  from  Edith, 
and  was  an  ultimatum.  If  he  did  not  come  and  dine 
with  her  on  the  day  named,  she  would  consider  that 
he  intended  to  insult  her. 

He  smiled  as  he  sat  down  in  the  library  to  think 
the  matter  out.  It  was  true  that  he  had  been  guilty 
of  great  rudeness  towards  Sybil,  but  in  reality  he 
had  forgotten  all  about  her  invitation  in  the  pre- 
occupations of  the  preceding  week;  and  as  to  Edith 
— well,  he  did  not  want  to  go.  It  was  significant, 
he  thought,  that  both  these  women  should  have 
deigned  to  write  to  him  again,  that  they  should  not 
have  treated  him  in  future  with  the  cold  contempt 
all  women  knew  so  well  at  times  how  to  display.  It 
was  significant  of  the  extraordinary  power  of  the 
purse.  Some  amends,  however,  he  must  make,  or 
these  incensed  ladies  would  surely  seek  to  be  avenged. 
Therefore  he  decided  to  write  to  both  of  them, 
inviting  them  for  a  cruise  upon  his  yacht  in 
August  and  promising  to  call  whenever  he  had 
time. 

The  fact  was,  as  he  recognised  for  the  second  time, 
his  existence  was  growing  far  too  complicated.  It 
would  be  well  if  he  could  simplify  it,  but  he  saw  no 
chance  of  doing  that.  Its  complexity,  he  feared, 
would  not  diminish  but  increase.  That  was  a  pen- 
alty he  had  to  pay  for  using  his  wealth  as  he  was 
doing  now. 

On  the  following  afternoon  he  called  at  Jermyn 
Street,  where  the  valet  handed  him  a  parcel. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       111 

He  opened  it  and  found  a  pair  of  stays,  with  a 
bill  from  Blythe  &  Geraldine. 

Not  a  word  from  Claire.  Merely  the  dry  account. 
He  would  act  in  the  same  way.  Repressing  his  desire 
to  go  to  Regent  Street  and  pay,  in  order  to  have  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  her  again,  he  gave  the  money 
to  the  valet,  and  asked  him  to  settle  the  transaction. 

Those  men  were  fools  who  could  not  shake  off  a 
love  infatuation.  Such  men,  he  thought,  were  de- 
clining in  numbers  in  the  present  age,  when  the  phe~ 
nomenon  of  love  was  scientifically  viewed.  All  really 
forceful  men,  since  the  world  began,  had  shaken 
themselves  free.  The  old-style  love  tale  or  romance 
would  soon  grow  obsolete. 

The  next  day,  which  was  appointed  for  the  first 
sitting,  Ames — after  instructing  Giacomo  as  to  the 
visit  he  was  expecting  and  ordering  him  to  remain 
in  readiness  in  the  hall  to  open  the  door  as  soon  as 
he  heard  a  knock;  after  having  prepared  his  canvas 
and  his  tools — waited  in  the  library  for  his  visitor. 
Punctually  at  three  o'clock  she  came  in  a  motor  car, 
wearing  a  veil  that  rendered  her  unrecognisable. 

Immediately  she  was  shown  into  the  library.  Im- 
mediately, also,  as  soon  as  the  door  was  closed,  she 
was  led  by  Ames  through  the  bookcase  panel  into 
the  Eastern  room. 

"  Oh,  how  beautiful !  "  she  exclaimed,  as  she  looked 
down  from  the  gallery ;  "  but  how  mysterious !  Do 
you  paint  many  ladies'  portraits  here?  " 

"  On  my  word  of  honour,"  he  said  earnestly,  "  you 
are  the  first  that  has  ever  entered." 

This  appeared  to  please  her,  and  she  descended  the 
flight  of  stairs  with  a  girlish  step. 


112      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  I  never  saw  anything  in  the  East  more  truly 
Oriental ! "  she  exclaimed,  as  she  examined  the  carved 
wood  and  the  arabesques,  and  glanced  at  the  gilded 
dome. 

"  Here  is  your  seat,"  he  said,  pointing  to  a  square 
divan  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  before  which  stood 
an  easel,  and  drawing  aside  the  red  panes  of  the 
upper  lights  by  means  of  a  rope. 

He  helped  her  to  take  off  her  motor  coat  and  veil, 
offered  her  a  mirror  to  enable  her  to  arrange  her  hair. 
Then  he  settled  the  position  and  the  pose,  and  when 
all  was  ready  he  began  to  sketch.  He  had  purposely 
set  to  work  at  once  in  order  to  inspire  confidence, 
but  when  he  stood  before  his  easel,  pencil  in  hand, 
he  talked  to  her  quite  freely.  It  was  so  good  of  her 
to  come;  to  give  him  this  rare  opportunity,  which 
any  artist  would  most  surely  envy ! 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  said,  "  since  I  left  you  the 
other  night,  I  have  been  thinking  of  little  but  your 
portrait." 

"  Of  my  portrait  ?  "  she  repeated,  with  a  smile. 

He  whispered: 

"Of  yourself!" 

"  Of  myself ! "  she  reiterated,  with  a  sudden  move- 
ment of  her  body,  "  and  pray,  what?  " 

He  laid  down  his  pencil. 

"  I  was  thinking  that  you  are  the  most  complete 
expression  of  your  sex  that  I  have  ever  met." 

She  did  not  look  displeased,  although  she  said : 

"  I  stipulated  that  you  should  not  talk  politics, 
but  I  think  I  should  have  also  pledged  you  to  abstain 
from — well,  from  saying  what  you  are  saying  now. 
I  do  not  like  to  be  rated  higher  than  my  worth." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  [AMES       113 

*'  Oh ! "  he  protested,  with  a  gesture  of  denial, 
"  that  is  so  utterly  impossible." 

She  rose  from  her  seat,  looked  at  his  sketch  of 
her  a  moment,  and  then  walked  around  the  room. 
Ames  feared  that  she  might  be  offended,  but  pres- 
ently she  stopped  before  a  coffee  stand,  took  a  cig- 
arette from  a  tray  upon  it,  lit  it,  and  then  sank  upon 
the  cushions  of  a  divan  in  a  deep  niche. 

Ames  experienced  again  his  old  dislike  of  female 
smoking;  especially  on  the  part  of  one  who  was  so 
truly  an  object  of  virtii.  It  seemed  to  rob  her  sud- 
denly of  a  portion  of  her  charm.  Why  must  they 
smoke?  When  would  they  learn  that  the  habit  must 
impair  their  nerves,  and  that  injured  nerves  means 
lengthened  faces,  tired  eyes  and  brains?  Smoking 
also,  if  they  only  knew  it,  tended  to  repel  the  male. 

"  No  doubt,"  she  said  at  length,  "  you're  used  to 
saying  such  things  to  women,  and  you're  only  half 
sincere." 

He  rose  with  a  bound  and  stood  before  her. 

"  Surely  you  don't  want  to  offend  me?  " 

"  Well,  well,"  she  said,  "  perhaps  you  mean  it.  I 
suppose  I  am  distrustful.  One  becomes  so  in  this 
life.  And  then  I  have  been  unfortunate." 

"Unfortunate?" 

"  Is  it  not  a  misfortune  to  be  in  my  position  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  taking  a  seat  beside  her, 
"  but  it  is  one  that  cries  aloud  for  compensation." 

"  Compensation  ?     I  have  often  been  offered  that." 

"  And  you  refused  it?  " 

"  Yes." 

He  drew  nearer  to  her. 

"  But  would  you  refuse  it  now?  " 


114.       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

She  closed  her  eyes  and  sent  a  puff  of  smoke. 

He  thought :  "  I  wonder  if  she  came  here  solely  for 
the  portrait." 

However,  as  she  was  silent,  he  continued: 

"  Do  you  not  feel,  do  you  not  know,  that  there  are 
no  two  people  in  the  world  more  fitted  to  console  each 
other  for  the  ills  of  life  than  we?  Did  you  not  guess 
that  at  our  first  meeting?  " 

Still  she  was  silent,  breathing  deeply. 

"  Believe  me,"  he  pursued,  "  the  meeting  of  affini- 
ties is  rare." 

"  I  wonder,"  he  thought,  as  he  was  saying  this, 
"  if  she  has  been  told  all  this  before  ?  " 

She  threw  away  her  cigarette  and  said,  to  his 
astonishment,  like  Edith: 

"  I  liked  you  from  the  first !  " 

"  Really  ?  "  he  said.  "  How  happy  you  have  made 
me.  Ah!  how  happy  we  will  be." 

He  had  spoken  as  he  had  in  obedience  to  a  neces- 
sity of  youth;  but  soon  he  added  up  the  cost.  She 
was  at  least  five  years  older  than  he,  and  was  of  the 
type,  perhaps,  that  easily  became  what  in  French  was 
called  crampon,  a  grappling,  which,  once  fixed,  could 
not  be  shaken  off. 

She  told  him  of  her  sorrows,  how  she  had  had 
four  years  of  married  life,  and  then  her  husband  had 
been  taken  ill;  how  his  condition  had  of  late  become 
so  bad  that  it  was  almost  certain  he  would  have  to 
be  removed  to  private  care ;  how  hard  it  was  for  her 
to  deal  with  agents  and  with  lawyers  who  were  work- 
ing for  their  interests  far  more  than  hers.  But  now 
that  she  had  found  him  he  would  help  her.  He  was 
so  intelligent,  sagacious,  so  far  above  the  level  of 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       115 

most  -men  she  met,  and  they  would  arrange  a  happy 
life,  a  life  quite  full  of  satisfaction,  and  perhaps  the 
future  would  be  kind  to  them. 

Ames,  who  had  as  yet  committed  himself  to  noth- 
ing definite,  felt  the  rivets  fastening  upon  him,  but 
it  could  not  be  helped.  He  was  embarked  upon  this 
enterprise,  and  he  did  not  want  at  this  stage  to  re- 
treat. Indeed  he  felt  a  little  proud  of  his  after- 
noon's achievement.  Men  of  his-  age,  it  seemed,  must 
woo.  It  was  a  duty  they  owed  distinctly  to  them- 
selves. 

She  gazed  into  his  eyes. 

"  I'm  afraid  we  shall  fight  dreadfully  about  poli- 
tics. No  matter,  it  won't  be  a  real  fight  with  real 
enmity.  I  felt  that  even  the  other  day  when  I  lec- 
tured you  at  home,  and  I  don't  despair  of  making 
you  see  the  error  of  your  ways." 

"  Yes,  that  is  it,"  said  Ames,  with  a  suppressed 
smile,  "  you  will  try  to  show  me  I  am  wrong,  and  I 
will  only  like  you  all  the  more  for  doing  so.  We 
shall  be  famous  friends." 

She  looked  at  him  again. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  been  getting  spoiled  by 
many  women  ?  " 

"  In  future,  I  hope  I  shall  have  eyes  for  only  one." 

"  That  is,  you.  know,  what  I  expect." 

This  time,  however,  he  felt  the  rivet  keenly,  and 
for  a  moment  he  looked  around  as  though  seeking  an 
escape.  His*  movement  was  perceived  by  her,  and  a 
slight  frown  creased  her  brow.  The  charm  was 
broken.  He  took  up  his  pencil  again  and  went  on 
with  the  portrait.  He  had  promised  nothing. 


vn 

THE  next  day  Ames  attended  the  wedding  of  Lucy 
Penton  at  St.  George's.  He  entered  the  church  just 
as  the  bridal  pair  were  walking  down  the  aisle,  the 
ceremony  over. 

She  had  well  described  it  as  a  white  wedding. 
She  was  in  white,  defiant  beneath  her  veil.  The  sex- 
agenarian was  practically  all  white,  save  for  his  black 
coat  and  boots. 

Mentally,  Ames  shrugged  his  shoulders.  He  did 
not  like  the  sight  of  thwarted  nature.  The  man  was 
a  fool  and  the  woman  a  seller  of  herself.  How  could 
society,  that  banned  irregularity,  permit  irregularity 
so  great?  For  what  could  be  more  irregular  than 
this  discrepancy  of  age? 

After  contemplating  a  moment  the  crowd  of  on- 
lookers, who  seemed  to  think  the  whole  thing  natural, 
he  jumped  into  his  motor  and  drove  to  Eaton  Square. 
He  found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Penton,  beaming  with  the 
satisfaction  of  having  accomplished  a  sound  financial 
operation,  receiving  the  congratulations  of  their 
friends  with  a  beatific  air. 

Presently  the  bride  and  bridegroom  stood  in  the 
centre  of  the  drawing-room,  objects,  Ames  thought, 
of  the  intensest  ridicule,  but  kingly  and  queenly,  for 
all  that,  as  they  received  the  handshakes  of  their 
friends. 

When  Ames  approached,  Lucy  looked  at  him  with 
a  half-scornful,  half-cynical  expression,  and  when 

116 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       117 

he  congratulated  her  she  merely  introduced  him  to 
her  husband. 

Suddenly  a  thought  occurred  to  him.  Why  not? 
The  series  of  contrasts  would  be  amusing. 

"  In  August  might  I  venture  to  inquire,"  he  began, 
"  if  you  will  be  in  England?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  answered,  "  we  are  only  going  to 
Twyford." 

"  If  a  cruise  to  Venice  might  tempt  you,  you  would 
be  cordially  welcomed  on-  my  yacht.  I  have  a  little 
party." 

He  glanced  at  the  bridegroom,  who  seemed  hesi- 
tant. Lucy,  however,  answered  promptly : 

"  We  should  like  it  very  much.  Thank  you,  we 
will  come  if  you  will  let  us  know  the  date." 

He  promised  he  would  write  and  presently  with- 
drew. 

When  he  reached  the  hall,  he  suddenly  found  him- 
self face  to  face  with  Edith,  whose  acceptance  of  his 
invitation  he  had  received  the  day  before. 

She  looked  at  him  reproachfully,  although  sub- 
missively. 

"  It  was  kind  of  you  to  ask  me,"  she  said,  "  al- 
though I  must  confess  I  did  not  expect  you  would. 
You  have  shown  me  so  very  plainly  how  negligible 
lam!" 

She  was  looking  well  that  afternoon,  full  and 
shapely  in  her  plain  dress  of  grey  silk. 

"  If  I  had  done  that,"  he  said,  "  I  should  stand 
condemned  in  my  own  eyes.  But  really  you  are  mis- 
taken. I  have  for  you  the  deepest  of  regards." 

"  I  suppose  I  must  make  an  effort  to  believe.  An 
omnipotence  like  you  must  always  be  believed." 


118       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

He  laughed  and  left. 

The  six  weeks  which  intervened  before  the  break-up 
of  the  season  were  the  busiest  that  Ames  had  ever 
passed,  although,  in  order  to  give  himself  time  to 
elaborate  his  plans,  he  kept  aloof  from  races, 
theatres,  and  bridge  parties ;  yet  he  was  so  occupied 
with  his  political  and  journalistic  ventures  that  he 
had  little  time  to  spare  for  the  social  functions  to 
which  he  was  increasingly  invited.  Moore  had  taken 
him  round  to  several  families  of  high  importance 
in  the  social  world,  after  borrowing  an  additional  two 
hundred  pounds,  and  especially  to  a  house  in  which 
he  had  met  a  mother  and  a  daughter  who  had  inter- 
ested him. 

Elaine  Hurst  and  her  mother  lived  at  Lancaster 
Gate  in  a  quiet  house  at  the  corner  of  the  square. 
They  entertained  but  little,  preferring  to  spend  the 
surplus  of  their  somewhat  modest  means  in  charity, 
to  which  the  mother,  a  type  of  refined  benignity,  gave 
the  greater  portion  of  her  time.  Elaine  was  what 
Ames  considered  a  success  of  nature,  physically  and 
morally.  Although  he  only  saw  her  twice,  he  was 
convinced  beyond  all  doubt:  (1)  that  she  was  perma- 
nently amiable;  (2)  entirely  unselfish  and  disinter- 
ested; and  (3)  intellectually  superior.  Beyond  this, 
purity  itself.  To  visit  her,  he  thought,  was  to  take 
a  bath  in  purity.  Altogether,  in  an  age  of  deca- 
dence, they  were  rarae  aves  in  the  land.  Here,  his 
wealth  would  avail  him  nothing.  If  he  had  wished 
to  marry  her  and  she  had  wished  to  marry  him,  such  a 
marriage  would  have  been  sound  and  good.  But  for 
the  present  he  did  not  care  for  matrimony.  In  his 
thoughts,  he  placed  her  on  a  shelf  where  some  day 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       119 

he  might  look  for  her.  On  his  present  moral  plane 
she  was  far  above  him.  Besides,  with  her  tendency 
to  part  with  her  possessions,  his  wealth,  his  talis- 
man, would  not  be  safe.  Moreover  there  was  Con- 
stance, who  was  in  some  sense  an  entanglement. 

Yes,  there  was  no  doubt  that  his  friendship  was 
not  to  be  considered  lightly,  and  he  could  readily 
conceive  that  it  might  develop  into  something 
troublesome.  However,  for  the  time,  he  was  quite 
satisfied.  It  was  the  necessary  responsibility  to  take 
at  that  especial  juncture.  It  brightened  his  exist- 
ence and  it  had  a  good  effect  upon  his  nerves. 

Nevertheless  he  saw  with  some  apprehension  that 
Constance  had  conceived  for  him  a  veritable  passion, 
had  become  infatuated  with  him  to  the  point  of  folly. 
And  he  thought  it  wonderful  that  this  should  be, 
considering  how  passive,  unemotional  she  had  at  first 
appeared.  But  with  women  it  was  not  always  safe 
to  judge  by  outward  signs. 

Twice  a  week  she  sat  to  him,  and  once  a  week  she 
insisted  on  his  dining  with  her  at  her  house,  whether 
she  had  guests  or  not. 

Ames  had  no  desire  to  complete  the  portrait  which 
he  had  begun ;  but  she  kept  him  to  the  work,  de- 
claiming that  she  must  have  it  in  the  Academy  next 
year,  and  that  she  would  love  that  everyone  should 
see  her  name  and  his  together  in  this  way. 

One  afternoon,  the  work  accomplished,  as  they 
were  sipping  the  Turkish  coffee  which  Ames  had 
made  with  his  own  hands  so  that  not  even  Giacomo 
should  be  admitted  into  the  room,  while  she  was  lying, 
somewhat  languidly,  on  the  divan,  smoking  the 
eternal  cigarette,  she  said: 


120      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"Do  you  know  that  I  see  great  things  in  the 
future  for  us  both." 

Inwardly  he  winced.  Why  was  she  always  talking 
of  the  future  when  the  present  was  alone  of  interest 
to  him? 

"  If  only,"  she  continued,  "  I  were  quite  con- 
vinced that  you  were  thoroughly  sincere." 

"  Sincere  in  what?  "  he  asked  himself. 

"  You  see,  with  your  means  and  with  my  connec- 
tions, there  is  nothing  that  should  be  beyond  our 
reach." 

Now,  really,  he  felt  grateful  to  her  for  the 
undoubted  stimulus  to  action  which  she  gave  him,  and 
he  would  not  be  unmindful  of  his  debt,  but  if  she  must 
persist  in  this  arrangement  of  futurity,  she  would 
end  by  causing  him  ennui. 

"  As  much  as  I  dare,"  she  pursued,  "  I'm  talking 
of  you.  I  actually  spoke  to  a  Liberal  peer  about 
you  yesterday,  and  he  said  that  he  would  like  to 
know  you  and,  as  you're  aware,  I'm  on  friendly  terms 
with  the  Princess !  " 

She  was  displaying  vistas  to  him,  that  he  knew, 
and  of  course  there  was  no  doubt  that  she  was 
influential. 

"  You  are  so  good,"  he  said. 

She  pursued  after  a  pause : 

"  I  was  reading  a  book  the  other  day,  a  novel  by 
Alexandra  Parks.  It's  the  most  revolutionary  thing 
I  ever  read.  She  preaches  nothing  less  than  absolute 
free  love,  the  gratification  of  desire,  regardless  of  the 
consequence.  She  ridicules  conventions  and  sets 
herself  to  break  down  all  restraint.  Her  men  and 
women  are  unfaithful  just  when  they  feel  they  want 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

to  be,  and  she  excuses  them,  because  they  are  fulfill- 
ing their  duty  to  themselves !  Have  you  read  any  of 
her  books?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Ames,  "  I  read  a  part  of  one  at  the 
club  not  long  ago.  The  woman  has  keen  percep- 
tions, is  a  consistent  realist,  and  an  artist  in  the  use 
of  words.  But  the  theories  which  she  endeavours 
to  advance  concerning  sex  relations,  appear  to  me 
to  be  insufficiently  thought  out.  After  all,  we  can't 
be  quite  as  fickle  as  the  little  dogs ! " 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  so.  I'm  convinced 
myself  that  there  must  be  fixed  relations  between  men 
and  women,  bonds  that  bind  them  to  each  other,  if 
we  are  to  have  any  manner  of  society  at  all." 

"  You're  right,  quite  right." 

Suddenly  she  asked: 

"  Talking  of  Alexandra  Parks'  ideas,  what  do  you 
think  are  the  obligations  of  a  wife  married  to  a  man 
who's  hopelessly  insane  ?  " 

"  The  case  is  quite  exceptional.  The  obligations 
of  such  a  wife  seem  almost  nil." 

"  That's  what  I  tell  myself.  I  heard  to-day  that 
he  is  worse." 

"  How  long  do  you  suppose  he  will  survive?  " 

"  Ah !  that  I  do  not  know.  Perhaps  some  years. 
I  cannot  tell." 

Ames  had  resumed  his  place  before  his  easel,  and 
began  to  give  some  touches  to  the  portrait  with  his 
brush.  Could  he  bring  himself  to  see,  in  the  original, 
the  woman  destined  one  day  to  be  his  wife?  Un- 
doubtedly a  marriage  with  her  would  be  of  social 
value,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he  did  not  think  that 
nowadays  there  were  many  social  bars  which  riches 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

could  not  break,  and  after  all,  although  she  was  a 
dainty  and  attractive  creature,  he  was  not  inclined 
to  think  that  she  would  suit.  She  seemed  to  have 
some  love  for  him,  but  even  that  might  prove,  upon 
analysis,  to  be  impure. 

After  she  had  left  that  afternoon  he  received  a 
letter  from  his  solicitor,  whose  advice  he  had  asked 
through  Sims  about  the  transfer  of  some  shares,  and 
also  as  to  the  position  of  the  Ventners.  Winston, 
who  knew,  or  had  means  of  ascertaining,  "  how  it 
was "  with  everyone,  replied  that  the  estates  were 
mortgaged  heavily  and  almost  tenantless ;  that  Lady 
Ventner  was  dependent  chiefly  for  her  income  on  the 
rental  of  some  houses  in  Belgravia,  the  leases  of 
which  were  falling  in.  This  threw  much  light  on 
her  behaviour,  Ames  considered,  and  confirmed  sus- 
picions which  had  recently  been  forming  in  his  mind. 
It  seemed  now  almost  certain  that  she  was  that  mix- 
ture of  interest  and  pallid  love  which  appeared  to 
him  too  common  in  the  British  Isles.  Again,  it 
seemed,  he  was  being  chiefly  or  partly  wooed  for  his 
possessions. 

His  possessions?  When  he  came  to  make  a  care- 
ful calculation,  he  discovered  that  his  income  was 
not  greatly  in  excess  of  his  expenditure,  which  in- 
creased by  leaps  and  bounds.  It  was  true  that  his 
mines  were  constantly  developing,  but  on  the  other 
hand,  his  journal,  in  the  first  years  of  its  life,  would 
prove,  no  doubt,  a  sink.  His  yacht  and  his  election 
were  items  of  his  budget  of  no  small  importance,  and 
it  was  not  a  sound  position  to  be  spending  income 
at  his  present  rate.  Happily  the  outlay,  or  a  portion 
of  it,  was  designed  to  reproduce.  One  day  in  the 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       123 

midst  of  his  election,  after  he  had  spent  the  morning 
down  at  Shadley,  breathing  its  stale  air,  he  managed 
to  find  time  to  go  to  Jermyn  Street,  where  he  wished 
to  engage  in  some  private  study  quite  unknown  to 
Sims  or  to  his  election  friends.  There,  upon  the 
hearth,  was  the  arm  chair  in  which  the  goddess  had 
sat  that  evening  of  the  Opera,  and  there,  on  the 
side  table,  a  little  parcel,  which  contained  the  corset 
moulded  to  her  form !  How  he  would  have  liked  to 
see  her  once  again,  for  none  of  the  women  he  had  met 
possessed  a  moiety  of  her  charm.  But  the  price 
she  asked  was  more  than  he  could  bring  himself  to 
pay.  Curious,  the  scheme  whereby  men  could  not 
without  the  greatest  effort  rid  their  mind  of  the 
obsession  of  the  woman  who  had  once  attracted  them ! 
Women  knew  this  weakness  of  the  other  sex  and  used 
it  for  their  ends.  And  women's  ends  were,  after  all, 
the  ends  of  Nature  which  cared  only  for  the  conserva- 
tion of  the  race  and  impelled  men  to  preserve  it  by 
the  frenzy  they  called  love.  And  as  he  was  thinking 
thus  he  remembered  the  words  of  an  old  song : 

"Love  was  all  a  hum." 

Yes,  love  might  well  be  that;  but  it  would  never 
do  to  tell  that  to  a  woman,  for  the  man  who  did  would 
forfeit  her  esteem.  Women  were  trained  to  believe 
in  the  transcendental  nature  of  the  passion,  and  their 
faith  was  fed,  unto  satiety,  by  scribes  and  poets. 

But  perhaps  it  was  well  that  this  delirium  of 
youth,  which  he  himself,  with  all  his  discipline,  ex- 
perienced, was  thus  maintained.  Love,  after  all, 
was  but  desire,  and  a  sentiment  which  somehow  must 
pervade  the  universe  since  even  atoms  loved,  since 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

they  were  attracted  to  each  other  by  an  influence 
that  could  not  be  explained. 

Dismissing  these  thoughts  from  his  mind,  he  sat 
down  to  his  writing-table  and  began  to  make  an 
outline  of  his  last  electoral  address  before  the  poll. 
But  the  noise  of  footsteps  overhead  disturbed  him. 
An  art  critic  lived  on  the  floor  above  and  he  was 
pacing  up  and  down  his  room  with  a  short  quick  step. 
Finding  it  difficult  to  concentrate  his  thoughts,  Ames 
rose  and  imitated  the  art  critic.  After  a  few  min- 
utes, tired  of  this  aimless  pacing,  he  stopped  before 
the  window  and  looked  into  the  street.  Presently  he 
saw  a  lady  whom  he  recognised  at  once,  in  spite  of 
a  thick  veil,  as  Sybil.  To  his  surprise,  instead  of 
passing  on,  she  stopped  before  the  door,  which  she 
seemed  to  open  with  her  own  latchkey.  A  moment 
afterwards,  he  heard  her  enter  and  ascend  the  stairs. 
Then  a  door  on  the  first  floor  closed  and  the  noise  of 
the  footsteps  ceased. 

"  Ah,  well,"  he  thought,  "  there  is  indeed  a  uni- 
versal atomicity." 

Sybil  1  And  she  was  coming  for  the  cruise  upon 
the  yacht!  (What  a  curious  collection  there  would 
be  upon  that  yacht!)  But  after  all,  this  affair  was 
her  private  business  and  not  his,  and  he  had  no  right 
to  reproach  her  for  it.  Possibly  too  much  attention 
was  bestowed  on  love  affairs,  which  were  not  of 
course  the  only  ones  in  life,  and  later,  when  he  had 
more  time,  he  would  endeavour  to  determine  the  exact 
place  they  should  occupy  in  life. 


vm 

Ox  the  eve  of  his  election,  Ames  told  his  audience  of 
his  deep  concern  for  the  welfare  of  the  district,  in 
which  no  human  power  would  have  caused  him  to 
reside,  of  his  sympathy  with  their  aims  and  aspira- 
tions, of  which,  not  long  ago,  he  had  never  heard, 
and  of  his  fixed  intention  to  procure  for  them  the 
benefits  which  he  was  far  from  thinking  they 
deserved.  Never  in  his  life  had  he  felt  so  insincere. 
And  what  could  he  do  but  utter  this  election  cant, 
the  current  coin  of  politics  ?  He  knew  that  if  he  had 
abstained  from  doing  so  his  chances  of  success  would 
have  been  jeopardised,  in  spite  of  all  his  liberality 
in  the  matter  of  new  schools. 

Therefore  he  pursued  his  policy  of  cant. 

In  the  division  which  he  was  contesting  the  inhabi- 
tants were  for  the  greater  part  tradesmen  with  pro- 
gressive tendencies  stopping  short  of  socialism,  of 
which  they  had  no  little  dread,  and  Ames'  nuance 
suited  them.  Perceiving  that  their  chance  was 
slight,  the  socialists,  after  a  talk  with  Ames,  who  had 
demonstrated  to  them  how  all  roads  lead  to  Rome, 
withdrew  their  candidate,  and  the  only  adversary 
Ames  had  was  a  Unionist  deficient  in  the  power  of 
clear  speech. 

All  the  afternoon  of  the  election  day,  Ames  sat 
in  his  committee-rooms  at  the  hotel,  talking  with  his 
supporters  and  deriving  much  amusement  as  he  saw 
the  fever  of  excitement  into  which  they  worked  them- 

125 


126      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

selves  in  his  especial  cause,  wondering  how  they  could 
be  so  naive.  It  was  fortunate  for  him,  he  thought, 
that  there  were  still  men  in  the  world  who  took  things 
seriously  and  who  could  fret  and  fight  over  a  political 
campaign  in  the  success  of  which  none  but  the  paid 
agents  had  any  interest  that  was  in  the  least  direct. 
Truly,  as  a  French  moralist  had  said,  instinctive 
effort  led  men  on. 

"  Well,  Jones,"  Ames  said,  as  the  agent  hurried 
in  at  three  o'clock,  "  how  is  it  going  now  ?  " 

"  As  far  as  I  can  see  we're  winning."  And  the 
local  magnate,  who  was  standing  by,  expressed  the 
same  opinion. 

Ames  remained  quite  calm.  In  accordance  with 
his  method,  he  had  accustomed  himself  to  think  of 
failure  as  a  quite  probable  result,  and  had  determined, 
in  advance,  the  move  by  which  he  should  oppose  it. 
All  was  therefore  for  the  best  in  the  world  which  was 
planned  for  the  ease  and  comfort  of  beati  possidentes. 

At  half -past  five  the  contest  was  decided. 

Ames  was  elected  by  a  large  majority. 

The  figures  were  placed  before  him  on  the  table 
and  the  fanatics,  as  he  deemed  them,  who  composed 
his  council,  gathered  round  him  to  congratulate  him, 
and  to  shake  his  hand. 

Presently  there  were  sounds  of  cheers  in  the  street 
below  and  Ames  went  out  upon  the  balcony  and  gave 
a  short  address,  in  which  he  thanked  the  crowd  of 
his  electors  for  the  confidence  they  had  reposed  in 
him  and  renewed  his  promises  of  zeal. 

Then  followed  a  banquet,  which  seemed  to  Ames 
unutterably  tedious  and  commonplace,  and  before 
midnight  he  was  at  home  again.  A  legislator!  Gia- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      127 

como  was  still  up.  "  lo  son  diputato,"  he  informed 
him ;  but  the  man  already  knew,  and  offered  his  con- 
gratulations in  the  best  Italian  style,  bringing  him 
a  pile  of  letters  and  of  telegrams. 

Constance,  who  had  preferred  to  keep  away,  had 
sent  him  a  long  letter.  He  was  the  cleverest  of  men ! 
Her  thoughts  had  been  with  him  all  the  day.  She 
only  wished  that  she  could  be  with  him  at  that  hour, 
but  prudence  had  to  be  observed,  especially  as  her 
companion  had  returned.  Ah,  if  he  had  only  been 
elected  on  the  other  side !  But  she  was  not  distressed 
on  that  account.  The  time  would  come  when  he 
would  change  his  views. 

He  tore  the  letter  into  little  pieces  with  a  gesture 
of  annoyance.  He  did  not  like  her  meddling  with 
his  affairs  and  he  resolved  that  henceforth  he  should 
tell  her  none  of  them. 

There  were  telegrams  from  Sybil  and  from  Edith 
in  ordinary  terms.  But  the  message  Lucy  sent  him 
struck  him  as  peculiar.  It  ran: 

"  Congratulations,  but  I  wonder  if  you're  happy. 

"  LUCY." 

Why  did  she  wonder  that?  His  happiness  did 
not  concern  her.  Happy?  It  was  pretty  certain 
she  was  not.  He  opened  a  few  more  telegrams  and 
then,  as  he  was  tired,  went  to  bed. 

The  next  day  he  rose  early.  He  had  had  enough 
for  the  last  week  of  politics  and  politicians,  and  as 
he  had  made  arrangements  for  a  meeting  of  his  fol- 
lowers the  next  day  he  was  free  for  four-and-twenty 
hours  at  least.  Therefore,  after  breakfasting  and 


128       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

informing  Giacomo  that  he  would  be  away  till  late, 
he  left  his  house  and  took  the  train  for  Brighton, 
where  he  passed  the  time  in  swimming  and  in  walking, 
enjoying  the  fresh  sea  air  after  the  atmosphere  of 
London  and  amusing  himself  by  watching  the  divers 
on  the  pier.  While  he  was  doing  this,  however,  the 
sea  washed  in  a  dark  thick  object,  which  was  soon 
observed  to  be  the  body  of  a  man.  As  the  police  on 
the  shore  drew  it  in,  and  placed  it  on  a  cart  near  to 
Ames,  a  boy  sang  out :  "  When  you've  got  to  the  end 
of  this  life,  you've  nothing  to  do  but  to  die." 

Ames  returned  to  the  Parade.  He  had  not  reached 
the  "  end  of  the  world,"  as  yet,  and  he  did  not  wish 
to  die,  although  he  could  quite  conceive  that  the 
time  might  come  when  lassitude  would  overtake  him 
and  he  wouldn't  cling  quite  so  tenaciously  to  life. 
Surely  in  the  process  of  continued  cogitation,  of 
incessant  churning  of  the  same  ideas,  the  mind  must 
tire.  Ah,  well!  these  were  the  experiences  of  future 
years  and  it  was  useless  to  anticipate  them. 

Thinking  thus,  he  was  sauntering  along  towards 
Kemp  Town,  when  suddenly  he  heard  a  woman's 
voice  pronouncing  his  name.  Turning  around  he 
found  himself  face  to  face  with  Dora  Devereux,  the 
little  actress  whom  he  remembered  having  introduced 
one  night  to  Morgan. 

"I've  just  been  reading  all  about  you  in  the 
paper  and  I  didn't  think  to  see  you  here." 

She  opened  the  journal  she  was  carrying  and 
showed  him  a  portrait  of  himself. 

Although  he  had  purposely  abstained  from  reading 
a  newspaper  that  morning,  he  was  interested  and 
amused  to  see  himself  thus  portrayed. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       129 

"  And  you  ? "  he  asked,  "  how  is  life  treating 
you?" 

"  I'm  married  to  the  husband  you  provided." 

"  7  provided !  " 

"  To  your  friend  Morgan,  with  whom  you  paired 
me  off  that  night.  Oh !  I  was  in  a  fine  rage  then,  but 
I  suppose  I  ought  to  thank  you  now.  He's  not  a 
bad  fellow,  though  he's  rather  slow." 

Ames  laughed  outright.  Morgan  had  committed 
the  biggest  piece  of  folly  that  any  man  could  well 
commit. 

"  Why  did  you  not  let  me  know  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Oh!  Teddy  didn't  like." 

Ames  thought :  "  He  wasn't  proud  of  the 
espousal." 

"  And  are  you  living  here  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Staying  for  a  week  or  two.  I'm  acting  at  the 
theatre." 

"  And  where  is  Teddy?  " 

"  Gone  to  town  until  to-morrow,  so  I'm  quite  alone. 
Won't  you  come  and  lunch  with  me?  My  rooms 
are  over  there." 

And  she  pointed  to  a  square  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Parade. 

Ames  thought :  "  She's  ready  to  be  faithless  to  her 
simpleton,"  and  he  declined  her  invitation,  blaming 
himself  for  having  acted  thoughtlessly  in  introduc- 
ing Morgan  to  her. 


rA  FEW  days  after  this,  the  necessary  formalities 
gone  through,  Ames  took  his  seat  at  Westminster. 
A  queer  place  he  thought  this  House  at  first,  full  of 
illogicalities  and  strange  complexities.  The  cham- 
ber could  not  hold  more  than  a  portion  of  the  mem- 
bers at  a  time,  and  the  most  important  questions  were 
discussed  to  empty  benches.  The  Cabinet  was  an 
oligarchy  which  treated  the  remainder  of  the  throng 
with  a  lofty  scorn  and  the  party  whips  were  the  auto- 
crats who  ruled  the  rank  and  file.  An  anachronistic 
person  in  a  wig  presided  over  the  debates  whenever 
they  took  place,  and  there  was  a  certain  cleverness 
to  be  attained  in  catching  this  person's  eye.  The 
duties  of  the  private  member  were  for  the  most  part 
ambulatory,  since  his  time  was  chiefly  occupied  in 
moving  in  and  out  of  lobbies  whenever  a  division  was 
announced.  How  the  business  of  the  nation  could 
be  conducted  in  this  fashion  was  at  first  a  mystery  to 
Ames;  but  he  perceived  at  length  that  there  was  an 
inwardness  which  had  to  be  understood.  All  the 
same,  he  had  been  educated  in  a  school  of  clear  ideas, 
and  this  obscurity  annoyed  him.  He  was  not  very 
well  received  by  the  party  to  which  he  was  acknow- 
ledged to  belong,  because  they  had  some  doubts  as  to 
his  loyalty,  and  for  a  week  and  more  he  felt  like  a 
stranger  in  the  land.  The  weight  of  the  traditions 
pressed  upon  him,  and  he  realised  acutely  that  if 
he  was  to  rise  out  of  the  common  crowd,  out  of  the 

130 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       131 

flock  of  sheep,  who  voted  at  the  party's  call,  he  must 
exert  himself  in  no  half-hearted  way. 

He  soon  perceived  that  the  quality  most  needful 
for  success  was  that  of  clear  and  interesting  speech, 
because  it  was  essential,  above  all  things,  to  induce 
the  House  to  listen,  and  that  they  would  not  do  to 
dullards,  stammerers,  or  bores.  Next,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  advocate  a  set  of  principles,  and  to  shut  the 
mind  to  all  ideas  that  did  not  harmonise  with  them. 
Finally,  it  was  of  great  importance  to  be  versed  in 
the  methods  of  procedure.  All  this  was  plain  to  him, 
and  he  did  not  need  it  pointed  out.  One  thing  struck 
him  as  insufferable — the  evening  sittings.  Was  he 
to  give  up  all  his  evenings  to  this  legislative  task? 
And  if  so,  for  how  long?  Truly  he  felt  that  wealth 
should  have  preserved  him  from  this  tie. 

Gradually,  as  it  became  known  that  he  was  about 
to  found  a  paper,  he  was  more  sought  after,  and 
some  ministers  looked  on  him  with  more  favour  than 
they  had  shown  at  first. 

By  the  end  of  the  first  fortnight  he  was,  therefore, 
in  a  fair  way  of  becoming  known.  His  desire  was 
to  make  acquaintances  in  every  camp,  although  he 
soon  perceived  how  difficult  it  was  to  do  so,  without 
exciting  a  whole  series  of  suspicions.  It  amused  him 
at  times  to  sit  in  a  corner  and  to  watch  the  play  of 
motives  as  the  speakers  spoke,  and  to  extract  from 
what  they  said  the  grains  of  truth.  A  curious  study, 
also,  were  the  Labourites,  these  men  who,  from  the 
mine,  the  workshop,  or  the  desk,  had  been  promoted 
to  the  dignity  of  legislators.  A  few  had  minds 
which  were  capable  of  taking  a  comprehensive  view 
of  things,  but  the  majority  were  men  of  one  idea — 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

the  interest  of  class.  They  viewed  all  questions 
through  the  spectacles  of  Labour.  One  night,  a 
loquacious  demagogue,  who  had  been  drawing  a  pic- 
ture of  the  wrongs  and  hardships  of  plate-layers 
and  mechanics,  suddenly  exclaimed  in  a  high-pitched 
tone :  "  And  I  'ope,  gentlemen,  that  you  will  never 
'ave  to  bear  such  hills."  The  Whigs  remained  im- 
passive, but  the  cavaliers  upon  the  other  side  laughed 
heartily.  Incensed,  the  speaker  shouted :  "  You 
may  laugh  just  now,  but  the  time  may  come  when  you 
may  'ollow,"  and  hereupon  the  Tory  benches  were 
entirely  convulsed. 

In  the  meantime,  Constance  was  not  idle.  Since 
Ames  had  been  elected,  she  had  been  more  than  ever 
fervent  in  her  cult  of  him,  and  had  organised  a  little 
dinner,  to  partake  of  which  she  had  succeeded  in 
securing  the  Opposition  leader.  Ames,  of  course, 
was  glad  to  meet  this  mandarin,  although  he  would 
have  much  preferred  the  meeting  to  take  place  in 
another  house.  At  dinner  Ames  was  seated  opposite 
the  statesman,  and  next  to  a  German,  baroness  who 
was  passing  a  month  in  England. 

"  Mr.  Ames,"  said  Constance,  addressing  the  ex- 
Premier,  "  can  scarcely  be  unknown  to  you  by  sight, 
since  you  sit  opposite  each  other,  over  there  at  West- 
minster." 

Burleigh  glanced  at  Ames. 

"  Yes,  I  have  noticed  Mr.  Ames.  Mr.  Ames,  if  I 
am  not  mistaken,  is  the  founder  of  a  new  organ." 

Constance  assented: 

"  And  a  future  convert  to  our  views." 

Inwardly  annoyed,  Ames  yet  contrived  a  smile. 

"  Our  views,"   he   said,   "  are   chiefly   formed   by 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       133 

education,  bent,  and  the  circumstances  of  early  life. 
Can  they  ever  be  changed?  " 

The  great  man  said: 

*«  They  should  not." 

"  Now,  really,  Mr.  Burleigh,"  Constance  said, 
"  do  you  mean  to  say  you  do  not  think  that  all  the 
Whigs  should  cross  the  floor?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  for  if  they  did  we  should  all  be  of  one 
mind,  and  be  in  danger  of  becoming  indolent  from 
want  of  the  stimulus  which  opposition  gives.  We 
should  have  no  critics,  and  would  grow  too  self-con- 
tented. It  would  not  do  at  all." 

The  Baroness  declared: 

"  There  must  be  strife  in  politics." 

But  the  leader  did  not  wish  to  dwell  upon  the 
theme,  and  therefore  he  began  a  conversation  upon 
art  with  the  lady  on  his  right.  Nevertheless,  when 
the  dinner  was  over,  and  the  men  remained  a  short 
time  in  the  dining-room,  Ames  easily  perceived  that 
he  was  of  interest  to  Burleigh,  who  put  him  a  few 
veiled  questions,  skilfully  designed  to  ascertain  the 
poh'tical  complexion  of  his  future  journal.  But 
Ames  replied  in  general  terms  and  Burleigh's  curi- 
osity remained  unsatisfied.  Ames  said,  however,  as 
they  were  rising: 

"  I  liked  your  speech  last  night  immensely.  That 
is  a  question  upon  which  we  must  be  all  agreed,  and 
really  there  are  more  such  questions  than  is  com- 
monly supposed." 

Burleigh  assented  somewhat  dubiously,  and  there- 
upon they  went  upstairs. 

It  was  singular,  Ames  thought,  that  this  great 
man  did  not  in  the  least  impress  him.  Was  it  that 


134       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

he  was  incapable  of  thinking  much  of  politicians? 
Perhaps.  They  certainly  appeared  to  him  parochi- 
ally flat,  and  even  those  who  were  supposed  to  be 
the  philosophers  had  replaced  the  universal  view  of 
things  that  the  philosopher  must  take  by  one  which 
was  confined  within  the  walls  of  party  principle. 
Burleigh  had  wielded  power,  if  any  man  had,  in  the 
State.  He  had  grown  grey  and  bent  in  Parliament, 
and  he  did  not  look  as  though  he  had  derived  much 
satisfaction  from  it.  Probably  it  was  because  the 
power  was  responsible  and  bridled,  and  not  that  fuU 
free  exercise  of  a  man's  own  will  which  was  so  grate- 
ful to  the  mind.  And  he  asked  himself  if  this  was 
the  kind  of  power  he  was  working  to  obtain.  Well, 
no.  It  was  too  intermittent  and  too  circumscribed. 
It  had  but  the  semblance  of  omnipotence. 

It  was  plain  to  him,  however,  that,  since  he  was 
a  member,  he  must  sometimes  speak,  whether  he  liad 
anything  he  really  wished  to  say  or  not. 

Accordingly,  one  night,  when  a  question  of  educa- 
tion came  before  the  House,  he  contrived  to  draw 
attention  to  himself  by  speaking  for  fifteen  minutes, 
not  on  the  religious  issue,  which  he  preferred  to  let 
alone,  but  on  the  general  inferiority  of  the  instruc- 
tion given  in  the  schools  the  State  provided  or  helped 
the  public  to  provide. 

He  had  made  himself  acquainted  with  the  system 
by  sending  Sims  to  take  notes,  and  had  become  con- 
vinced that,  with  few  exceptions,  the  boys  the  school 
turned  out  were  lacking  in  the  most  essential  ele- 
ments of  science,  and  knew  nothing  about  conduct. 

Many,  in  handling  this  theme,  would  have  caused 
the  House  to  yawn,  but  Ames  knew  by  instinct  how 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       135 

to  invest  his  themes  with  interest,  and  the  result  was 
he  was  listened  to — less,  he  knew,  for  what  he  said 
than  for  the  way  in  which  he  said  it.  While  he  was 
speaking,  he  felt  himself  sincere.  He  really  wanted 
the  reforms  which  he  had  been  recommending;  but 
when  he  was  walking  home  that  night  he  asked  him- 
self if  he  cared  very  much  about  them,  if  there  really 
was  such  a  virtue  as  sincerity  when  the  welfare  of 
others  was  at  stake?  How  often  he  had  pondered 
over  "  yours  sincerely  "  at  the  bottom  of  a  letter 
which  was  all  equivocation!  How  many  times  had 
he  not  seen  that  sincerity  to  self  was  all  that  was  in 
view  ? 

One  evening  as  he  was  walking  up  Whitehall 
after  dining  at  the  House,  feeling  singularly  en- 
ervated from  the  closeness  of  the  evening,  suddenly, 
while  he  was  noticing  the  throng  of  employees  of 
both  sexes  hurrying  homewards  with  the  quick  step 
of  home-going  slaves,  he  perceived  among  them 
Claire.  She  was  walking  slower  than  the  rest  with  a 
somewhat  tired  gait.  At  that  moment,  in  the  twi- 
light, at  the  side  of  the  old  Palace,  she  appeared  to 
him  more  exquisitely  feminine  than  ever. 

She  perceived  him  instantly  and  held  out  her  hand 
to  him  at  once  with  a  smile  of  pleasure. 

"  At  last,"  he  said,  "  like  this,  by  chance,  we  meet 
again." 

"  I  was  beginning  to  think,"  she  said,  "  that  we 
never  should." 

"  Did  you  hope  we  never  should  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head  and  looked  away. 

"  And  how  are  you  getting  on  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  have  been  made  premiere" 


136      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Yes,  she  had  sterling  qualities,  he  thought,  would 
make  a  good  and  honest  wife  for  anyone  who  had  the 
courage  to  cast  out  prejudice  and  take  her. 

"  I  have  often  thought  of  you,"  he  said,  "  since 
you  left  me  that  evening  all  alone.  TJiat  little 
parcel  which  they  sent  is  lying  on  the  table  still 
unpacked,  suggesting — ah!  suggesting  you." 

"  I  should  never  have  gone,"  she  answered,  "  and 
I  have  repented  often  since." 

"  It  was  so  good  of  you  to  come." 

As  he  said  this  he  gazed  at  her,  wondering  whether 
she  had  found  out  who  he  was. 

"  Do  you  read  the  papers  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  The  French  ones,  yes.  The  English  ones — at 
times." 

No,  she  had  not  read  of  his  election  or  she  would 
have  spoken  of  it.  She  was  far  too  frank  to  have 
concealed  her  knowledge. 

"  Why  do  you  ask  me  that  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Because  I  thought  you  might  have  seen  that  a 
Belgian  artist  was  killed  in  a  duel  the  other  day  at 
Liege." 

"  It  was  the  man  of  whom  I  spoke.  There  seems 
a  fate  in  store  for  such  as  he." 

"  The  Fausts,"  suggested  Ames. 

"TheFausts!" 

"  Well,  you  must  not  lose  heart.  /  don't.  I'm 
going  for  a  voyage  shortly  till  the  autumn.  When 
I  return,  I've  a  great  plan  for  your  happiness,  a 
plan  which  has  just  been  formed  within." 

And  saying  this  he  pointed  to  his  head. 

She  looked  at  him  as  if  in  doubt.  At  length  she 
said: 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       137 

"  I'm  living  now  with  a  lady  over  there  in 
Battersea." 

Ames  produced  his  pocket-book. 

"  Please  tell  me  the  address." 

She  told  him  and  he  wrote  it  down. 

"  Good-bye,  and  remember,  I'm  your  friend." 

He  pressed  her  hand,  and  as  he  held  it  for  a 
moment,  loath  to  relinquish  it,  a  brougham  passed, 
and  in  it  a  lady  in  evening  dress,  whom  he  recognised 
as  Constance. 

Well,  she  had  seen  or  not  seen.  Probably  she 
had  seen,  since  she  was  looking  out  of  the  carriage 
window,  and  possibly  she  might  ask  questions.  No 
matter,  he  would  know  how  to  answer  them.  She  had 
no  right  to  assert  authority,  as  she  tended  constantly 
to  do. 

His  anticipations  were  fulfilled,  for  the  following 
morning,  when  he  returned  home  from  his  daily 
ride,  he  was  informed  by  Giacomo,  with  an  air  of 
mystery,  that  a  lady  in  motor  dress,  whom  he  had 
taken  on  himself  to  ask  into  the  library,  although  she 
had  refused  to  give  her  name,  was  waiting. 

"  Good,"  said  Ames,  and  passed  into  the  room, 
where  Constance  stood  leaning  against  the  mantel 
with  her  foot  upon  the  fender. 

"  My  dear  friend,"  he  exclaimed,  in  a  half- 
reproachful  tone,  "  how  excessively  imprudent ! " 

"  No  one  but  your  Giacomo  knew  me,  and  he  could 
not  recognise  me  through  my  veil." 

He  waited  for  her  to  announce  the  object  of  her 
early  call,  but  she  avoided  doing  so,  speaking  of  the 
dinner  she  had  been  to  on  the  previous  night,  where 
she  had  met  the  fascinating  Prince  von  Lindenbach, 


138       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

the  young  and  handsome  Austrian  about  whom  the 
women  were  now  raving.  At  length  she  said,  as  she 
lit  a  cigarette : 

"  By  the  way,  as  I  was  driving  up  Whitehall  last 
night,  I  saw  you  speaking  with  some  young  woman." 

Ames  said  simply: 

"  Yes." 

His  taciturnity  annoyed  her  and  she  asked  with 
some  acerbity : 

"Who  was  she?" 

"  A  lady  who  possesses  my  particular  esteem." 

This  vexed  her  more. 

"  That  does  not  tell  me  who  she  is." 

"  No,  and  I'm  afraid  that's  all  the  information  I 
can  give.  I  may  add,  however,  that  my  relations 
with  her  are  entirely  platonic." 

He  spoke  in  a  stiff  and  formal  tone  which  conveyed 
to  her  his  irritation.  There  were  no  ties  between 
them  that  could  warrant  her  inquisitorial  attitude. 
Anxiety  betrayed  itself  a  moment  on  her  counte- 
nance. She  threw  away  her  cigarette  and  came  and 
placed  herself  beside  him  as  he  leaned  against  the 
books. 

"  Forgive  me,  I  was  indiscreet." 

The  matter  ended,  but  that  very  evening  he  called 
at  Sybil's,  wishing  to  spend  some  time  in  the  society 
of  one  to  whom  he  was  in  no  way  bound,  as  a  change 
from  the  interview  with  Constance. 

Sybil  regarded  him,  he  thought,  with  a  real  admira- 
tion for  his  political  success  and  he  regarded  her  with 
unfeigned  interest.  But  while  he  was  in  conversa- 
tion with  her  and  her  sister  a  visitor  came  in,  a  stout 
man  with  a  short  beard  and  a  conquering  air,  whom 
she  introduced  as  Mr.  Dalston,  the  art  critic. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       139 

Ames  recognised  in  this  description  his  neighbour 
of  Jermyn  Street,  whose  name  indeed  he  had  once 
seen  on  a  letter  in  the  hall,  and  it  amused  him,  know- 
ing what  he  knew,  to  watch  the  couple  pretending 
to  be  unfamiliar  with  each  other.  He  plainly  saw, 
however,  that,  whatever  their  relations  might  have 
been,  Sybil  was  beginning  to  grow  tired  of  the  man. 
Perhaps  the  presence  of  Ames  or  the  potential  which 
he  represented,  was  the  reason  why  she  seemed  so  in- 
attentive to  this  artistic  judge;  for  he  knew  as  well 
as  anyone  the  dynamic  influence  of  wealth.  One 
thing  was  certain,  he  would  not  have  this  scribe  upon 
the  yacht.  It  would  be  good  for  Sybil  to  be  away 
from  him.  He  wanted  her  on  board  for  her  magnifi- 
cent appearance,  but  he  did  not  want  her  followers. 
This  man,  moreover,  was  too  arrogant  and  his  artistic 
canons  were  diametrically  opposed  to  Ames'.  Be- 
sides, it  was  evident  that  none  but  a  richer  man  than 
this  appeared  to  be  could  give  Sybil  that  elegant 
environment  to  which  she  was  entitled  by  the  right 
of  beauty. 

What  masterpiece  of  painting  was  not  in  need  of 
a  frame  to  set  it  off?  It  was  a  pity,  however,  to 
see  this  girl  wasting  her  youth  in  a  situation  that 
appeared  to  be  without  an  issue,  and  he  must  really 
see  what  could  be  done  for  her.  It  was  fortunate 
that,  if  he  had  the  power  of  doing  evil,  he  had  also 
that  of  doing  good. 

He  stayed  only  an  hour,  and  when  he  left,  Sybil 
came  with  him  to  the  door,  and  as  she  said  good-bye 
she  gave  him  a  long  and  earnest  glance,  such,  he 
thought,  as  women  keep  for  men  of  wealth  and  power. 


THE  weeks  that  intervened  before  the  voyage  were 
spent  by  Ames  in  the  study  of  the  history  of  politics, 
in  preparing  projects  for  the  winter,  and  in  seeing 
the  men  who  wished  to  write  and  to  conduct  his 
journal,  which  was  not  to  start  until  the  first  months 
of  the  following  year.  Strictly  he  knew  that  he 
should  not  leave  before  the  session  was  quite  over, 
but  as  he  did  not  mean  to  suffer  in  the  cause  of 
politics  he  decided  that  he  would  give  himself  per- 
mission to  depart.  He  was  quite  sure  his  electors 
would  not  lose  much  by  his  absence.  And  if  they 
were  not  pleased  he  really  did  not  care. 

One  day  he  telegraphed  to  his  captain  to  come  up 
from  Southampton,  and  a  fair  man,  stoutly  built, 
with  light  blue  eyes  and  a  sunburnt  face,  arrived  next 
day.  He  was  scarcely  more  than  thirty,  but  had  done 
much  service  in  the  merchant  navy,  and  held  a  supe- 
rior certificate.  Ames,  who  had  not  yet  seen  the 
yacht,  examined  with  him  the  plans  which  the  builder 
had  supplied,  and  received  abundant  explanations. 
When  the  engines  had  been  discussed,  Ames  took  the 
sheet  on  which  the  cabins  were  planned  out  and  asked : 

"  What  is  this  large  room  here?  " 

"  That,"  replied  Barnes,  "  is  the  largest  of  the  state 
rooms.  It  is  either  for  the  owner  or  his  leading 
guest." 

"  But,"  said  Ames,  "  it  communicates,  it  seems, 
with  another  sleeping  chamber." 

140 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       141 

Barnes  assented,  and  the  owner  further  asked : 
"  Is  there  not  a  little  cabin  I  might  have  at  the 
farther  end?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  right  aft — a  pretty  little  room." 
"That,"  thought  Ames,  "will  be  for  me,  the 
other  for  her  ladyship,"  and  this  conception  so  con- 
tented him  that  he  invited  Barnes  to  dine  with  him 
that  night,  to  the  captain's  evident  surprise.  It  was 
well,  thought  Ames,  to  please  the  man  to  whose  skill 
you  intended  to  entrust  your  life,  and  in  any  case  one 
must  become  accustomed  to  the  levelling  of  class  dis- 
tinctions which  the  future  had  in  store.  And  after 
dinner,  when  they  were  seated  in  a  box  at  the  Alham- 
bra,  looking  at  the  ballet  with  its  tone  of  moving 
flesh,  Ames  suddenly  asked  the  captain: 

"  Are  you  married,  Barnes  ? "  Saying,  when 
Barnes  replied  he  was  a  bachelor,  "  Ah !  well,  there  is 
yet  time,"  revolving  for  a  moment  a  little  project  in 
his  mind. 

A  few  days  before  the  date  fixed  for  the  departure, 
Ames  went  down  to  Southampton.  He  found  his 
vessel  to  his  satisfaction — a  handsome  steamer, 
painted  white  and  gold,  and  admirably  planned  for 
comfort.  His  own  French  chef,  who  wanted  a  change 
of  air,  had  come,  and  therefore  Ames  had  no  anxiety 
as  to  the  fare.  A  doctor,  whose  acquaintance  Ames 
had  made  one  evening  at  his  club,  had  promised  to 
join  the  party,  so  that  if  anyone  were  taken  ill  there 
would  be  aid  at  hand.  The  naming  of  the  yacht  had 
given  him  some  trouble.  Although  she  had  not  said 
so,  he  knew  that  Constance  half  expected  he  would 
have  given  her  her  name.  But  that  he  had  not  wished 
to  do,  since  everyone's  suspicions  would  have  been 


14,2       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

aroused  thereby.  Therefore,  he  christened  her 
the  Exe,  the  true  significance  of  which  he  only 
knew. 

On  the  morning  fixed  for  the  departure,  Ames  sat 
upon  the  bridge  in  a  basket-chair,  looking  at  the 
vessels  in  the  harbour  and  reflecting.  It  was  not, 
after  all,  a  very  brilliant  party  he  had  brought  to- 
gether, in  spite  of  the  additions  he  had  made  in  the 
last  two  weeks  of  a  poet,  a  musician,  and  a  mother 
with  two  girls.  No  matter,  the  cruise  was  not  to  be 
a  long  one.  After  Venice  they  would  go  to  the 
Piraeus :  then  they  would  return. 

The  first  to  reach  the  yacht  were  the  mother  and 
two  girls.  They  had  been  asked  to  lend  propriety, 
and  they  had  accepted  eagerly,  on  the  chance  of  win- 
ning the  great  prize  which  the  owner  represented. 
They  were  the  widow  and  the  daughters  of  a  general, 
and  had  some  pains  to  live  up  to  the  standard  of  their 
friends. 

They  were  given  a  cabin  aft,  as  they  were  good 
sailors,  and  did  not  mind  the  plunging  of  the  ship. 
The  mother,  Mrs.  Laird,  was  still  young  and  prepos- 
sessing. The  daughters,  Kate  and  Cissy,  were  two 
fair-haired,  blue-eyed  maidens,  not  ill-favoured,  quite 
alert  and  fresh,  but  painfully  uneducated.  Ames 
considered.  If  they  had  only  known  how  poorly  he 
esteemed  them,  how  useless  were  their  little  flatteries 
and  smiles,  they  might  not  have  employed  their 
summer  thus. 

Constance  was  the  next  to  come. 

Dressed  in  a  blue  costume,  she  alighted  from  a  cab 
upon  the  dock,  attended  by  her  maid.  She  was  look- 
ing serious,  and  when  Ames  went  on  shore  to  meet 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES       143 

her  she  greeted  him  in  forced  and  somewhat  languid 
tones. 

"  I've  chosen  you  a  cabin  which  I  hope  you'll  like," 
he  said,  as  they  reached  the  deck.  "  It's  the  largest 
in  the  ship."  He  thought  it  better  not  to  go  down 
with  her,  leaving  to  the  stewardess  the  duty  of  con- 
ducting her  below.  After  this,  the  guests  arrived  in 
quick  succession:  Moore,  whom  Ames  had  wired  for 
the  day  before,  thinking  that  he  might  be  useful; 
Edith,  Sybil,  the  poet  Stephenson,  a  pale  young  man 
of  means,  with  a  taste  for  versifying;  Miss  Olane, 
the  pianist ;  finally  the  newly  married  Lucy  and  her 
husband,  and  the  doctor — eleven  altogether,  an  ill- 
sorted  lot,  Ames  thought,  wondering  if  they  would 
manage  to  enjoy  each  other's  company. 

At  five  in  the  afternoon,  Ames  gave  the  signal  to 
depart,  and  slowly  the  Exe  began  to  steam  among  the 
white-sailed  yachts  down  the  broad  Solent,  in  her 
course  towards  the  sea.  The  evening  was  fine  and 
cool,  and  the  guests  remained  for  some  time  on  the 
deck,  watching  the  crafts  and  the  river  banks.  Ames 
and  the  Count  had  a  conversation  on  "  Protection." 
Sybil  and  Edith  spoke  together  upon  gowns,  while 
Lucy  joined  the  group  of  Mrs.  Laird,  with  the 
remainder  of  the  party.  But  an  hour  before  the 
dinner  the  guests  began  to  disappear  below,  and  at 
length  Ames  found  himself  alone  on  the  after-deck 
with  Constance,  who  had  stayed  there,  as  he  knew, 
to  speak  to  him.  In  a  low  tone  she  began,  as  soon  as 
he  approached: 

"  You've  given  me  a  nice  room.     Where  is  yours  ?  " 

"  That  is  mine  which  I  have  given  you." 

"  And  where  do  you  sleep  yourself?  " 


144       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  In  a  small  place  over  there." 

She  reflected.     Then  she  said: 

"  There  is  a  cabin  vacant  at  the  side  of  mine." 

"  I  know,  and  if  you  like,  you  can  give  it  to  your 
maid." 

She  said  no  more  for  a  few  moments,  but  he  could 
see  that  she  was  troubled. 

"  This,  I  suppose,"  she  said,  "  is  to  be  a  cruise  of 
strict  propriety." 

"  No,  of  anticipation." 

"  I  see,"  she  said,  and  bit  her  lip. 

"  On  board  ship,"  he  explained,  "  one  must  be 
careful." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders.     He  pursued: 

"  I  thought  of  your  reputation.  There's  not  much 
privacy  on  board  a  yacht." 

"  As  you  will,"  she  said,  with  some  impatience. 
"  We  live  in  changing  times." 

He  saw  that  she  was  hurt,  and  he  felt  a  little 
grateful  to  her  for  letting  the  subject  drop.  She 
was  evidently  ready  to  begin  an  intimacy  which  he 
was  anxious  to  avoid. 

He  tried  to  interest  her  in  the  scenery — the  effects 
of  the  setting  sun,  and  the  gilding  of  the  meadows 
and  the  darkening  of  the  trees.  In  vain.  She  lis- 
tened absently,  and  presently  withdrew. 

At  dinner  in  the  state  room  Mrs.  Laird  took  the 
bottom  of  the  table,  facing  Ames,  who  had  Con- 
stance on  his  right,  and  Lucy  on  his  left.  If  it 
were  possible,  Lucy  had  improved,  Ames  thought. 
Her  face  was  graver,  but  more  dignified.  She  was 
magnificent  in  her  low-necked  dress  with  a  string  of 
pearls  around  her  neck,  and  Constance,  older  and 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       145 

less  handsome,  suffered  by  the  contrast.  The  two 
women  scrutinised  each  other  somewhat  closely  and 
both  remained,  throughout  the  meal,  reserved.  Ames, 
in  spirits,  chatted  easily,  amused  to  see  the  eyes  of 
the  women  fixed  upon  him  when  he  spoke,  as  though 
his  words  had  been  oracular. 

The  conversation  turned  upon  the  chances  of  fine 
weather  through  the  voyage.  The  night  was  calm, 
that  all  agreed,  but  the  Bay  of  Biscay  might  be  tur- 
bulent, even  in  a  lightish  breeze.  And  then  there 
were  joking  speculations  as  to  the  numbers  that 
would  come  to  table  should  the  wind  arise. 

"  In  such  a  case,"  the  doctor  said,  "  ladies  are 
generally  taken  with  neuralgia ! " 

But  the  Laird  girls  knew  that  they  could  dine  in 
any  hurricane,  and  Moore  declared  that  he  was 
never  incommoded  by  the  sea.  The  subject  ended, 
because  Mrs.  Laird  considered  it  inopportune  at  din- 
ner. The  Count  was  in  an  anecdotal  mood,  and  in- 
sisted upon  telling  stories,  in  a  German  accent,  of 
his  travels  in  the  East,  with  true  Teutonic  self-lauda- 
tion. While  he  did  so,  Ames  observed  his  wife,  who 
listened  with  perceptible  indifference  to  the  stories, 
that  she  must  have  often  heard.  From  the  conversa- 
tion he  had  had  with  him  Ames  had  found  this  hus- 
band naively  vain,  wrong-headed  to  no  small  degree, 
loquacious  to  excess,  and  he  felt  inclined  to  pity 
Lucy,  tied  to  such  a  man.  Well,  she  had  sold  her- 
self for  station  and  for  comfort,  and  society  was 
but  a  mart  where  all  was  compromise  and  barter. 

The  conversation  turned  on  Venice.  Constance 
and  Lucy  had  been  there  before,  but  Sybil  never,  and 
they  both  expressed  surprise  that  a  girl  of  her  ar- 


146      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

tistic  tendencies  should  not  have  seen  the  gem  of 
gems.  But  Ames,  knowing  Sybil  to  be  poor,  and 
unable  to  spend  much  in  travelling,  came  promptly 
to  her  rescue  by  declaring  that,  in  spite  of  all  its 
charm,  Venice  did  not  attract  some  minds.  Edith, 
who  was  next  to  Moore,  owned  frankly  that  she  had 
never  seen  the  city  of  the  Doges,  and  the  poet,  who 
had  already  been  there  twice,  promised  her  that  she 
would  be  enchanted  with  its  sights.  Constance  knew 
a  lady  who  resided  there  the  greater  portion  of  the 
year  in  a  fine  old  palace  full  of  ancient  memories, 
and  Lucy  said  she  would  not  mind  living  there  her- 
self. 

Ames  listened  to  their  talk,  thinking  how  colour- 
less it  was,  glad  when  it  was  time  to  quit  the  table. 

When  the  party  went  on  deck  again,  the  ship  was 
quitting  the  coast  of  England,  and  dashing  out  into 
the  ocean  swiftly.  There  was  no  moon,  and  some 
heavy  clouds  obscured  most  of  the  stars.  Some  of 
the  guests  formed  groups  to  sit  and  chat,  while 
others  preferred  to  roam  about  the  vessel.  Ames,  glad 
to  escape  them  for  a  while,  went  and  smoked  with 
Barnes  in  his  little  cabin  on  the  bridge,  and  it  was 
nearly  ten  before  he  left  him. 

He  had  scarcely  reached  the  deck  when  he  found 
himself  face  to  face  with  Lucy,  whom  he  could  just 
distinguish  in  the  dim  light  from  the  cabin  window. 
The  Count,  the  Lairds,  and  Moore  were  playing 
bridge  in  the  card-room  in  the  stern,  and  the  deck 
appeared  deserted. 

"  You  could  not  be  accused,"  said  Lucy,  "  of  too 
much  attention  to  your  guests.  They  haven't  seen 
you  all  the  evening." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       147 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  their  safety,  all  the 
same,"  he  answered.  "  I've  been  questioning  the 
skipper  as  to  the  behaviour  of  the  Exe." 

"  The  Exe!    Why  did  you  give  her  such  a  name?  " 

"  Because,  not  being  married,  I  could  not  give  a 
wife's  name  to  the  ship  as  many  do.  And  so  I  called 
her  X,  the  unknown  quantity." 

"  How  prudent,  and  how  wise ! " 

Her  tone  was  bitter,  and  though  he  could  not  see 
her  face,  he  imagined  its  expression.  They  were 
leaning  over  the  ship's  side,  and  he  drew  a  little 
nearer  to  her. 

"  Tell  me,"  he  inquired,  "  are  you  happy  ?  " 

"Happy?  You  know  very  well  I  cannot  be!  Oh, 
please  don't  think  that  I  am  wretched.  No  one  is 
wretched  nowadays.  It's  not  worth  while.  With 
wealth,  it's  scarcely  possible,  but  when  you  speak  of 
happiness  in  the  special  sense  you  mean,  I  can  only 
think  you  are  sarcastic." 

"  Why  did  you  marry  him  ?  "  Ames  asked. 

"  Because  he,  alone,  would  marry  me ;  because 
marriage  has  become  a  mere  arrangement  of  con- 
venience dependent  upon  money.  Women  marry  now 
for  the  sake  of  having  recognisable  establishments, 
and  of  keeping  the  pace  of  wealth.  We  are  all  af- 
flicted with  the  same  disease." 

"  You  admit  it  is  one  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  incurable." 

"  And  do  you  think  that  love,  affinity,  attraction, 
preference  are  dead?  " 

"  I  did  not  say  so." 

"  No,  you  could  not.  You  are  too  richly  feminine 
to  think  so." 


148       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  What  do  you  know  of  me?  "  she  asked,  somewhat 
defiantly. 

"  I  know  that  you  were  never  meant  for  the  part 
you  have  been  made  to  play,  and  that  the  playing 
it  has  cost  you  more  than  you  care  to  own." 

"  Peugh !  there  are  means  of  getting  consolation." 
"  Yes,  but  you  may  find  they  are  inadequate." 
"  You   talk   prophetically.      One  would   say   you 
knew  the  man  I  could  have  loved." 
"  I  do." 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment.     Then  she  asked: 
"  Have  you,  by  chance,  become  as  vain  as  the  man 
I  married?  " 

"  If  you  think  so,  I  am  sorry.  It  may  be  I've 
become  presumptuous  and  too  fond  of  stating  the 
crude  truth." 

"  Well,  and  after  you  have  stated  it,  what  then  ?  " 
"  Alas !  I  have  no  more  to  add." 
"  Remorseless,  as  you  always  were !  " 
This  word  remorseless  caused  him  to  experience  a 
slight  emotion.  Here  was  a  woman,  after  all,  a 
woman  of  his  class,  who  really  had  some  love  for 
him,  for  him  and  not  for  his  possessions.  It  seemed 
a  waste  of  something  rare  to  throw  away  such  love, 
but  his  Daimon  murmured  no.  He  must  not  take 
what  was  so  plainly  offered.  Love  was  a  matter  of 
time  and  opportunity.  If  he  had  not  asked  her  on 
the  yacht  she  would  have  gradually  forgotten  him, 
as  she  must  at  length  forget.  She  was  ready  now  to 
do  rash  things,  because  she  was  beneath  the  influ- 
ence of  sex,  which  was  but  strong  in  youth,  which 
age  destroyed. 

He  remembered  the  day  when  she  had  left  him  in 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      149 

the  library  making  him  understand  that  he  might 
repent  some  day.  She  thought  that  the  power  of 
her  beauty  would  one  day  bring  him  to  her  feet. 
Alas!  she  judged  him  of  the  common  clay;  but  he 
was  of  another  composition.  He  loved  something 
more  than  love.  His  passions  were  controllable.  At 
the  same  time,  she  was  far  more  beautiful  than  Con- 
stance, although  much  less  influential. 

Disturbed,  in  spite  of  himself,  he  said  at 
length : 

"  No,  I  am  far  from  that,  and  I  am  truly  sorry 
that  you  should  be  dissatisfied  with  things  as  they 
present  themselves.  Believe  me,  a  little  opti- 
mism  " 

But  she  did  not  heed  him. 

"  Good-night.  It's  far  too  cold  up  here.  I'm 
going  down." 

In  an  instant  she  was  gone,  and  he  remained  for 
some  time  longer,  looking  out  into  the  darkness  and 
trying  to  calm  his  somewhat  ruffled  feelings. 

What  was  it  that  had  caused  him  to  reject  her? 
An  inspiration  towards  another  order  of  morality, 
or  an  anticipation  of  the  better  things  the  future 
had  in  store?  Both,  perhaps,  but  certainly  the  lat- 
ter. He  had  a  constant  feeling  that  high  opportu- 
nities were  still  before  him,  opportunities  of  greater 
power  than  he  now  possessed. 

He  left  the  place  where  he  was  standing,  and  be- 
gan to  pace  the  deck.  Suddenly  he  heard  his  name 
pronounced,  and  on  a  bench  behind  the  funnel  he 
recognised  two  women's  forms.  Edith  and  Sybil 
were  side  by  side. 

"  I  must  apologise,"  he  said,  "  for  this  obscurity. 


150       THE  METHODS  OP  MR.  AMES 

By  some  extraordinary  oversight  the  lighting  of  the 
deck  has  been  neglected." 

"  Oh,  never  mind,"  said  Edith ;  "  there  are  some 
on  board  who  much  prefer  it  so.  Your  poet  over 
there  and  Miss  Olane  are  having  a  fine  time.  But 
won't  you  take  a  seat  ?  " 

"  Yes,  between  you,  if  you'll  let  me." 

They  separated  so  that  he  might  sit  between  them. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  as  he  leaned  back,  "  am  I  not 
in  paradise  ?  To  my  finger  tips  I  feel  your  presence. 
There  is  a  magic  in  the  number  three." 

"  I've  no  doubt,"  Edith  ventured,  "  that  you  feel 
safer  with  two  than  with  one." 

She  had  divined  his  thoughts.  He  revelled  in  the 
feeling  of  security. 

"  Yes,"  said  Sybil,  "  Mr.  Ames'  peculiarities  are 
becoming  known." 

This  was  a  pointed  hit.  He  easily  perceived  that 
if  his  methods  became  known  there  would  perhaps  be 
an  end  to  their  success.  It  was  wonderful  how  keen 
these  women  were!  Therefore,  calling  sophistry  to 
his  assistance,  he  declared: 

"  Security !  Is  there  security  in  any  enterprise, 
in  any  tie,  in  any  bond?  No,  my  friends,  believe  me, 
all  is  hazard,  and  the  wise  man  is  not  he  who  takes 
no  risks.  There  is  something  in  our  nature  that 
compels  us  to  be  hazardous.  It  is  imprudent  of  us 
three  to  sit  like  this  quite  close  together  on  this 
bench.  A  slanderer  might  pass  and  damage  our 
reputations.  We  are  always  at  the  mercy  of  events. 
But  do  not  let  us  talk  of  this.  Do  you  not  feel  that 
we  are  human  beings  before  we  are  men  and  women ; 
that,  above  all,  we  are  friends,  and  that  it  is  a  pleas- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       151 

ant  thing  to  sit  here  on  this  summer's  night  and 
dream?  " 

He  took  their  hands  and  joined  them,  placing  them 
between  his  own. 

"  Now,  can  you  not  feel  that  a  current  of  warm 
sympathy  has  been  established?  " 

Neither  answered,  but  after  a  moment  Sybil  drew 
her  hand  away. 

"  Strange  man,"  she  said,  and  rose  and  left. 

"Edith,"  he  said,  "you'd  better  follow  her;  it's 
getting  late." 

"  Oh,  very  well ! "  the  widow  answered,  in  a  tone 
of  disappointment.  "  Your  majesty  shall  be 
obeyed." 

She  left  and  he  continued  his  deck  walk.  He  had 
protected  himself  as  skilfully  as  he  knew  how  that 
evening,  but  in  doing  so  he  had,  he  feared,  very 
nearly  offended  these  three  women.  But  women  were 
so  easily  offended!  Not  to  worship  at  their  shrine 
was  an  offence ;  not  to  eagerly  accept  encouragement 
to  woo  when  it  was  offered  was  another,  and  the 
greatest  crime  of  all,  it  seemed,  was  to  be  independ- 
ent of  them. 

He  withdrew  to  his  cabin  and  to  bed. 

The  next  morning  when  he  went  on  deck  the 
wind  was  fresh  and  the  sea  perturbed.  The  ship, 
caught  in  the  great  Atlantic  waves,  was  rolling  some- 
what heavily.  A  seaman  said  that  there  was  more 
wind  to  come. 

Moore  presently  appeared. 

"  How  much  did  you  win  last  night  ? "  asked 
Ames. 

"  Only  a  few  pounds !    The  people  here  are  afraid 


152      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

to  play.  The  Count  is  the  only  one,  I  do  believe, 
who  can  afford  it." 

"  The  rest  were  probably  afraid  of  your  superior 
skill.  I  wish,  Moore,  you  would  talk  to  the  women 
more.  They  seem  to  be  getting  dull." 

Moore  smiled.     "  They're  disappointed." 

"  Yes,  why  don't  you  marry  one  of  them  ?  " 

"  They're  all  as  poor  as  I  am  myself." 

"  Do  you  not  know  that  the  best  wife  for  a  poor 
man  is  sometimes  a  poor  woman?  " 

"  No,  I  don't." 

"  It's  true.  A  rich  one  may  escape,  become  tyran- 
nical. A  poor  one  will  often  stay  and  scheme  and 
plot,  and  work  for  the  good  of  the  conjux." 

"  I'd  take  the  risks  of  the  rich  one,  if  I  had  the 
chance." 

"  Tell  me,"  said  Ames,  "  have  you  ever  met  a  man 
who  wouldn't  ?  " 

"  Rarely,  and  when  I  have  he  was  a  weak  example 
of  his  kind." 

"And  so  you're  fortune-hunting,  Moore?" 

"  If  you  like  to  put  it  in  that  way — yes." 

"  I  know  a  hideous  old  lady  who  is  extraordinarily 
rich.  She's  a  monster.  Do  you  think  that  such  a 
one  would  suit  ?  " 

Moore  hesitated  for  a  moment.     Then  he  asked: 

"How  much?" 

"Oh!  millions." 

"Yes." 

Ames  looked  at  the  horizon.  Was  there  in  the 
present  world  a  man  or  woman  in  a  thousand  who 
was  not  attacked  by  the  prevalent  auritis,  by  the 
strange  disease  which  threatened  to  destroy  the  fibres 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      153 

of  human  dignity,  and  to  render  men  incapable  of 
any  but  one  fixed  pursuit?  He  did  not  think  so,  and 
he  was  by  no  means  sure  that  he  was  himself  quite 
free  from  this  subtle  malady  which  might  be  con- 
tagious. 

"  Very  well,"  Ames  said,  "  I'll  bear  the  fact  in 
mind.  I  forgot  to  say  the  monster  is  engaged." 

Moore  shrugged  his  shoulders,  but  it  was  plain 
that  he  was  annoyed.  Ames  took  up  a  glass  and 
looked  at  a  vessel  which  was  passing.  She  was  a 
magnificent  steam-yacht,  larger  and  faster  than  the 
Exe,  and  on  the  deck  he  could  see  only  two  ladies. 
Probably  the  men  were  all  below.  There,  he  thought, 
was  an  example.  The  greater  fortune  bought  the 
finer  yacht.  As  he  was  thinking  thus,  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  were  suddenly  displayed  at  the  stern  of  the 
passing  yacht.  This  was  a  salute,  which  the  Exe 
immediately  returned.  Ames  could  not  see  the  ladies 
well  for  the  pitching  of  the  ship,  but  one  of  them, 
apparently  in  yachting  dress,  was  fair,  and  both 
were  young. 

They  were  soon  past,  however,  and  he  thought  no 
more  about  them.  The  heavy  sea  lasted  almost  till 
they  reached  Gibraltar,  and  the  life  on  board  was 
much  disorganised  at  meals.  Edith,  whom  nothing 
could  affect,  and  the  two  Laird  girls  were  the  only 
ladies  present.  The  remainder  could  not  trust  them- 
selves at  table,  and  passed  a  great  deal  of  their  time 
in  their  own  cabins. 

Constance  was  particularly  indisposed,  and  was 
only  able  to  come  up  at  intervals  and  mostly  in  the 
afternoon,  in  spite  of  the  doctor's  treatment. 

Sybil  and  Edith  were  much  together,  and  Ames 


* 
154.      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

overheard  the  former  say :  "  I  wish  I'd  never  come 
upon  this  wretched  cruise."  And  he  fell  to  wonder- 
ing why  she  had  accepted  his  invitation.  A  chance 
to  be  worked  out,  no  doubt,  was  what  had  induced 
her  to  be  there,  and  now  that  she  had  found  it  worth- 
less she  was  regretting  her  critic  and  envying  her 
sister,  who  had  gone  to  Etretat  with  her.  And  when 
he  thought  that  at  first  he  had  been  attracted  by 
what  he  took  to  be  her  artist's  nature,  he  asked  him- 
self how  long  he  would  continue  to  accept  appear- 
ances as  realities.  The  elder  of  the  Laird  girls, 
however,  came  up  to  Ames  and  said : 

"  What  a  delightful  trip  we're  having!  It  was  50 
kind  of  you  to  ask  us.  How  splendid  it  must  be  to 
have  a  ship  like  this  to  take  you  where  you  want 
to  go!  There's  nothing  I  love  like  travel." 

"  Later  on,"  Ames  answered,  "  when  your  Prince 
Charmant  appears,  he'll  take  you  in  his  airship  any- 
where you  wish  to  go." 

She  pouted  her  lips  at  this  and  ran  back  to  her 
mother. 

On  the  evening  before  they  reached  the  Rock  the 
wind  abated  and  the  sea  was  somewhat  smoother. 
Constance  was  able  to  stay  on  deck,  and  Ames  had 
a  seat  placed  for  her  on  the  bridge,  where  the  mo- 
tion was  less  felt. 

When  it  was  getting  dark  he  came  and  sat  beside 
her,  thinking  that  if  he  did  not,  she  would  be  too 
much  hurt. 

"  What  have  you  been  doing,"  she  inquired,  with 
a  suspicious  glance,  "  while  I  was  chained  to  my 
bed  down  there?  " 

"  Not  flirting,  anyway,"  he  answered. 


I 

THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       155 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  it,  for  I  had  been  asking  my- 
self why  you  had  invited  Lucy." 

He  reassured  her.  As  far  as  he  himself  was  con- 
cerned Lucy  was  sacred  to  her  Graf. 

But  even  this  answer  did  not  satisfy  her  alto- 
gether. 

"  Sometimes  I  think,"  she  said,  "  that  you're  not 
really  fond  of  women." 

He  looked  up  at  the  sky. 

"  What  man  is  not?  " 

"  When  we  get  to  Venice,"  she  inquired,  "  do  you 
intend  to  go  to  a  hotel?  " 

"  I  have  not  thought  about  it,  but  it  might  be 
done." 

"  Of  course,"  she  murmured,  and  he  smiled. 

"  Look,"  he  said,  pointing  to  the  west ;  "  look  at 
that  conflagration!  Is  it  not  superb?  What  are 
all  the  efforts  at  embellishment  which  we  call  art 
compared  to  that  great  painting  by  the  hand  of 
nature?  What,  also,  are  our  little  joys  and  pains, 
our  little  loves  and  hates,  in  the  whole  cosmic  scheme? 
To  us  it  seems  of  the  most  profound  and  solemn 
moment  whether  we  are  loved  or  love,  and  nature  does 
not  care  a  jot  for  our  loves,  well  knowing  that  it 
will  continue  to  paint  pictures  like  that  one  in  the 
sky  eternally,  whether  our  race  should  live  or  die. 
Therefore,  it  has  always  seemed  to  me  that  we  should 
not  take  life  too  seriously;  that  we  should  never 
chafe  at  disappointments ;  that  we  should  always  be 
prepared  to  take  life  as  it  comes,  with  its  pleasures 
and  its  pains,  saying  to  ourselves  that  just  as  for 
all  the  pleasures  there  is  limit,  so  for  all  the  pains 
there  is  a  term.  That  is  what  we  must  impress  upon 


156      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

our  minds  in  order  that  we  may  be  always  ready  for 
events  as  they  present  themselves.  If  we  do  this,  we 
become  proof  against  regret  and  we  obtain  the  mas- 
tery of  circumstance." 

But  Constance  said : 

"  You  are  in  a  philosophical  mood  again.  You're 
often  in  that  mood,  it  seems  to  me.  Whether  we 
are  something  or  nothing  in  the  universe,  our  own 
concerns  must  be  of  the  deepest  interest  to  us. 
Women,  at  all  events,  will  always  think  so." 

"  Women,"  he  repeated,  "  will  always  think  so — 
yes!" 

Then  she  began  to  tell  him  of  her  plans  for  the 
coming  winter,  of  her  dinners  of  well-chosen  friends 
and  of  a  little  trip  to  Paris  which  she  wished  to  make 
at  Christmas.  Perhaps  he  would  come  also. 

"  To  Paris !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  You  forget  that  it 
is  fuU  of  English." 

"  Really,"  she  said,  "  your  prudence  is  sublime. 
There  are  hotels  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Seine  where 
no  one  that  one  knows  is  ever  to  be  met." 

"  Sorry  places  they  must  be !  " 

She  moved  impatiently,  but  at  that  moment  Barnes 
appeared  upon  the  bridge,  and  Ames,  glad  of  the 
opportunity  to  interrupt  his  talk  with  Constance, 
began  to  ask  him  questions  as  to  the  working  of  the 
ship  and  the  time  at  which  the  land  would  be  in 
sight.  Barnes  answered  the  questions  clearly,  but 
he  was  evidently  intimidated  by  the  presence  there  of 
Constance,  who  treated  him  with  condescension. 

The  next  morning,  shortly  before  nine,  the  Exe 
anchored  in  the  harbour  of  Gibraltar.  Before  they 
went  on  shore,  Ames  called  a  meeting  of  his  guests 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      157 

to  inquire  how  long  they  wished  to  stay  upon  the 
Rock,  and,  as  they  were  unanimous  in  their  desire  to 
remain  there  only  for  the  day,  he  decided  to  resume 
the  voyage  when  the  sun  had  set.  The  morning  was 
spent  in  a  ramble  through  the  town  so  dwarfed  by 
the  gigantic  Rock,  and  in  the  afternoon  half  the 
party  went  to  see  the  fortress,  while  the  remainder 
took  a  carriage  and  were  driven  to  the  Cork  woods 
on  the  Spanish  side. 

Constance,  Lucy,  Edith,  the  doctor,  and  Ames 
composed  this  party,  which  was  served  with  tea  be- 
neath the  trees. 

Ames  had  hit  upon  this  means  of  killing  the  ermul 
which  had  begun  to  show  itself  upon  the  faces  of 
these  disappointed  women,  and  the  plan  succeeded 
fairly  well.  When  the  latter  reached  the  yacht 
again,  however,  and  heard  that  Moore  had  taken  his 
tea  at  the  Governor's,  they  seemed  to  envy  him,  so 
that  Ames  concluded  that  Edith  and  Lucy,  at  all 
events,  regretted  the  way  they  had  spent  their  after- 
noon. This  was  an  indication  to  be  noted. 

The  next  morning  the  vessel  was  steaming  swiftly 
through  the  waters  of  the  inland  sea  and  making  a 
straight  course  to  Italy.  The  sky  was  brighter  and 
the  tossing  of  the  ship  had  ceased.  The  guests  re- 
gained a  great  deal  of  their  equanimity  and  were  be- 
ginning to  make  projects  for  amusement  later  on. 
The  musicians  played  in  the  evening  after  dinner 
and  the  poet  gave  some  recitations,  upon  which  occa- 
sions Ames  became  invisible.  They  passed  Stromboli 
in  the  night  and  found  it  in  activity.  The  doctor 
and  the  Count,  who  were  both  geologists,  engaged  in 
a  discussion  on  volcanoes  which  lasted  from  ten 


158       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

o'clock  to  twelve.  Ames  studied  navigation  with  the 
captain. 

At  length  they  entered  the  Adriatic,  and  towards 
five  one  afternoon  sighted  the  gilded  domes  of  Venice. 
The  Exe  took  up  a  berth  not  far  from  the  entrance 
of  the  port,  with  her  stern  towards  the  quay.  As 
she  was  getting  into  position,  Ames  perceived  that 
she  would  be  greatly  dwarfed  by  a  magnificent  steam 
yacht  at  the  side  of  which  she  was  to  lie,  and  on  a 
closer  inspection  of  this  vessel  he  felt  sure  that  she 
was  the  great  white  yacht  which  had  passed  them 
on  the  Atlantic.  She  was  flying  the  American  flag, 
and  on  the  deck  he  thought  were  the  two  ladies 
whom  he  had  seen  through  the  telescope. 

One  of  them,  the  younger,  seemed  less  than  five- 
and-twenty.  Her  round  face,  quite  American  in  form 
and  expression,  was  surmounted  by  a  wealth  of  light 
waved  hair.  In  her  figure,  Ames  was  unable  to  detect 
a  serious  fault.  Her  companion  appeared  to  be 
about  thirty,  equally  American  in  aspect,  though 
of  the  dark  Southern  type.  What  the  relations  be- 
tween them  were  Ames  could  not  divine,  although  he 
fancied  that  the  younger  of  the  two  was  the  more 
important.  As  the  ropes  were  being  fastened,  both 
the  ladies  were  watching  the  operation,  glancing 
occasionally  at  the  party  on  the  Exe,  and  once  Ames 
became  conscious  that  the  younger  one  was  looking 
at  him  interestedly.  Just,  however,  as  he  was  glanc- 
ing in  her  direction,  Constance  appeared  upon  the 
scene. 

"  Isn't  it  time,"  she  said,  "  to  think  of  where  we 
are  to  stay?  I've  spoken  to  the  rest,  and  some  of 
them  would  like  to  go  to  the  Grand  Hotel,  which 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       159 

is  on  the  Grand  Canal,  and  gayer  than  this  dock. 
I've  had  my  letters  addressed  there." 

"  As  you  will,"  he  answered,  and  finally  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  those  who  wished  could  stay  upon  the 
yacht,  while  the  rest,  comprising  only  Lucy  and  her 
husband,  would  remain  at  the  hotel. 

Accordingly,  Constance,  Lucy,  and  the  Count  went 
on  to  take  rooms,  Ames  having  said  that  he  must 
stay  to  see  the  master  of  the  port.  When  they  had 
left,  and  the  party  had  gone  on  shore,  to  be  wafted 
round  the  town  in  gondolas,  Ames  remained  upon 
the  yacht. 

The  young  American,  he  learnt  from  the  port 
authorities,  was  the  daughter  of  the  multi-millionaire 
Josiah  Yorks,  who  had  died,  Ames  knew,  a  few  years 
previously.  Her  ship,  the  Lohengrin,  was  one  of 
the  finest  yachts  that  had  ever  entered  Venice.  She 
had  retired  below  after  the  entrance  of  the  Exe,  but 
after  Ames  had  obtained  this  information  she  ap- 
peared again,  dressed  in  a  light  summer  costume, 
with  a  wide  straw  hat.  Evidently  she  was  going 
into  town,  and  was  awaiting  her  companion. 

Ames  raised  his  hat. 

*'  I  beg  your  pardon,  but  I  fear  we  have  blocked 
your  way  to  the  landing  stairs.  I'm  very  sorry,  but 
we  had  to  go  where  we  were  sent." 

This  was  the  best  means  of  introduction  he  could 
think  of,  and  it  succeeded,  for  she  answered,  smiling: 

"  It  does  not  matter  a  little  bit.  We  shall  just 
go  round  to  the  other  steps." 

"  I  think,"  said  Ames,  "  you  passed  us  in  the  At- 
lantic. My  yacht  is  a  slower  boat  than  yours." 

"  Why,  yes,  we  do  go  fast." 


160     'THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Ames  was  about  to  make  another  remark,  when 
the  elder  lady  came  up  from  below,  all  ready  dressed 
to  go  on  shore. 

"  Well,"  said  the  younger,  "  we  must  be  off  now 
to  the  museum." 

But  just  as  she  was  leaving,  she  turned  and  gave 
a  little  nod  to  Ames :  "  Good-bye." 

He  watched  them  leave  the  ship,  and  then  he  went 
on  shore. 

,  Proceeding  along  the  labyrinth  of  narrow  streets 
and  little  squares,  overpoweringly  close  on  this  Au- 
gust afternoon,  he  reached  the  Grand  Hotel,  and 
just  as  he  was  entering  the  vestibule  he  met  Con- 
stance, who  was  leaving  hurriedly. 

"  I  was  going  to  telegraph,"  she  said.  "  What 
do  you  think  has  happened?  My  husband  died  last 
night ! " 

"  Really,"  said  Ames,  "  how  disappointing,  just  as 
you  are  on  a  pleasure  trip." 

"  Yes,  and  I  must  return  at  once  to  see  to  my 
affairs." 

"Oh,  must  you?" 

Pleased  at  her  departure,  Ames  said: 

"  I  suppose  you'll  go  back  overland." 

"  To-night." 

He  left  the  hotel  with  her,  and  when  they  were  in 
the  street,  she  said: 

"  Ah !  what  a  change  this  makes  in  my  existence. 
Now  I  am  quite  free." 

"  Yes,  yes,  quite  free,"  he  echoed. 

She  gave  him  a  sharp  glance. 

"  Is  that  all  you  have  to  say?  " 

"  By  no  means.     I  should  add  that  when  we  meet 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      161 

again,  after  the  trying  time  through  which  you  will 
have  to  pass,  there  will  no  longer  be  the  little  feel- 
ing of  restraint  which  perhaps  afflicted  us  before.  A 
widow  and  a  bachelor !  " 

"  Is  that  what  we  are  destined  to  remain  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  I  am  unable  to  foretell  the 
future." 

They  had  reached  a  church  with  a  wide  peristyle, 
and  she  ascended  its  steps,  making  him  a  sign  to 
follow  her. 

"  Throughout  the  voyage,"  she  said,  in  a  tone  of 
suppressed  anger,  "  your  manner  has  been  strange. 
You  know  you  have  kept  away  from  me,  and  what 
you  have  just  said  about  the  future  confirms  my — 
apprehensions.  Take  care !  I'm  not  a  woman  to  be 
trifled  with." 

"  And  I  am  no  man  to  be  threatened."   • 

She  saw  that  she  had  gone  too  far,  and  somewhat 
changed  her  tone. 

"  Before  I  leave,  I  ask  you  to  assure  me  that  I 
may  trust  your  loyalty." 

"Have  I  ever  promised  anything?"  he  asked. 

**  No,  you  are  far  too  cautious,  but  you  know,  as 
well  as  I,  that  there  are  tacit  promises  between  us." 

"  Now  that's  a  theory  I  can't  admit.  In  the  haz- 
ard of  London  life  we  met  for  a  season,  and  we 
helped  each  other  to  exist  as  friends.  That  season 
may  be  prolonged  in  the  coming  winter,  or  it  may 
end,  should  either  of  us  wish  it.  There  is  no  tie,  no 
bond;  we  are  both  free." 

"  Oh,  that  is  it !  You  speak  more  plainly  now. 
I  have  worked  to  advance  your  interests.  You  have 
been  my  sole  solicitude;  you  know  that  I  looked  for- 


162       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

ward  to  be  your  wife  some  day,  and  now  you  actu- 
ally tell  me  that  our  more  than  ordinary  friendship 
was  only  of  the  kind  which  is  contracted  or  aban- 
doned, as  one  pleases." 

"  That  is  very  nearly  what  it  is,  and  what  it  must 
be." 

Pain  and  disappointment  were  so  plainly  marked 
upon  her  features  that  he  felt  a  slight  remorse. 

"  All  may  be  as  it  was  before,"  he  said,  in  a  soft- 
ened tone ;  "  who  knows  ?  " 

She  was  silent  for  some  moments,  evidently  strug- 
gling with  conflicting  feelings,  and  he  knew  quite 
well  that  her  pride  and  interest  were  warring  with 
each  other.  After  all,  she  was  not  without  some 
prospects  of  her  own.  She  was  well  connected  and 
had  influential  friends.  Someone  would  eventually 
wed  her. 

"  I'm  astonished  at  myself,"  she  said  at  length, 
"  that  I  should  be  urging  you  to  do  what  you  seem 
to  hesitate — to  shrink  from  doing." 

"  It's  always  an  unwise  thing,"  he  answered,  "  to 
exercise  constraint." 

At  this  she  seemed  to  take  a  resolution. 

"You're  right.  I  shall  lower  myself  no  more  in 
my  own  esteem.  If,  when  you  return,  you  come  to 
me,  ready  and  anxious  to  act  as  you  know  you 
should,  I  will  receive  you  with  my  former  fondness. 
If  you  come  to  talk  of  freedom,  stay  away." 

"  I  shall  remember  your  words,"  he  said,  "  and 
act  as  nature  prompts." 

They  left  the  church  and  walked  in  silence  to  the 
post  office,  where  Constance  sent  some  telegrams  to 
England.  She  had  resumed  her  air  of  the  grande 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      163 

dame,  which  she  had  laid  aside  when  with  him,  and 
her  tone  was  cold.  When  she  left  the  office,  she 
held  out  her  hand  to  him. 

*'  I  must  go  back  to  the  Grand,  where  I  shall 
spend  the  day.  My  train  will  start  at  eight.  Shall 
I  see  you  at  the  station  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

Then,  undisturbed,  Ames  strolled  about  the  city 
for  an  hour,  making  purchases  in  the  shops,  and 
leaving  his  card  on  an  absent  friend.  As  he  was 
walking  through  the  arcades  of  the  Piazza  of  St. 
Mark,  he  suddenly  met  Lucy  with  her  Count.  She 
said  at  once: 

"  Mr.  Ames,  we  have  to  thank  you,  oh !  so  much, 
for  the  delightful  cruise,  and  to  say  that  we've  de- 
cided to  return  by  land.  You  see  we  want  to  visit 
the  Italian  lakes,  and  think  this  a  good  opportunity." 

The  Count  confirmed  what  his  wife  had  said,  and 
Ames  could  only  signify  regret.  He  knew  quite  well 
that  if  Lucy  took  this  course  it  was  because  she 
had  discovered  she  had  made  a  faulty  calculation, 
and  like  most  women  was  averse  to  spending  time  un- 
profitably.  After  a  remark  concerning  Constance, 
and  the  expression  of  a  hope  that  Ames  would  dine 
with  them  before  the  Exe  left  Venice,  they  hurried 
away  to  see  the  pigeons  fed,  and  Ames  resumed  his 
walk. 

He  had  a  feeling  that  things  were  going  well  that 
afternoon.  It  was  a  pity  of  course  to  lose  the  sight 
of  the  beautiful  Lucy,  but  Sybil  was  left,  who  had 
almost  equal  points.  He  looked  at  his  watch.  It 
was  still  early.  He  hastened  to  the  quay,  engaged 
a  gondola  with  two  men,  to  whom  he  offered  double 


164      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

fare  if  they  went  fast,  and  he  was  soon  speeding 
rapidly  through  the  historic  waterway  to  the  pic- 
ture gallery.  Would  they  still  be  there?  he  won- 
dered, as  he  entered  the  building.  No,  like  Amer- 
icans, they  would  probably  despatch  sights  quickly. 
Hurrying  through  the  rooms  without  looking  at 
the  pictures,  which,  for  the  rest,  he  knew,  he  was 
about  to  conclude  that  the  owner  of  the  Lohengrin 
had  left,  when  he  suddenly  perceived  her  with  her 
companion  in  a  corner,  busily  engaged  in  reading 
"  Baedeker." 

Moving  round  by  the  side  of  the  room,  apparently 
engrossed  in  a  study  of  the  pictures,  he  reached  the 
place  where  they  were  standing. 

Raising  his  hat,  he  said : 

"  We  meet  again, ! " 

"  That's  so,"  she  answered,  laughing,  while  her 
companion  smiled. 

"  Is  this  your  first  sight  of  these  masters  ?  "  he 
inquired. 

"  Yes,  and  it  won't  be  quite  the  last.  Are  you 
fond  of  art?" 

"  Extremely.  In  fact,  I  think  that  I  may  say, 
Anch  10  son  pittore." 

"  Oh,  then,"  she  said,  "  you're  like  my  friend  here, 
Miss  Vandek." 

The  lady  thus  alluded  to  explained: 

"  Oh,  water  colours  only." 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Ames,  "  that  you  have  travelled 
greatly  and  seen  the  art  collections  of  the  world?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  I've  been  twice  round  this  globe,  and 
I  think  I've  seen  about  all  that's  worth  seeing." 

"  Twice  already !    You  must  be  fond  of  travel." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       165 

"  I  just  love  locomotion." 

"  And  speed,  no  doubt." 

"  There's  not  a  motor  in  existence  that  is  fast 
enough  for  me." 

"  At  Venice,  I'm  afraid,  you  can't  get  much  amuse- 
ment in  the  way  of  motoring !  " 

"  You  haven't  seen  my  motor  boat  ?  It's  the  terror 
of  the  place." 

Ames  laughed.  Here  was  a  really  typical  exem- 
plar of  the  century  of  speed. 

"  Of  course,  you  know,"  she  added,  "  I  like  gon- 
dolas, too.  To  go  about  in  one  is  just  like  slipping 
back  three  hundred  years.  It's  all  right  for  a  week 
or  so." 

"  It's  a  pity,  Ada,"  said  Miss  Vandek,  "  you  don't 
like  quietude  for  a  little  longer  than  a  week.  You're 
much  too  fond  of  rush ! " 

But  Ada  gave  a  careless  laugh. 

"  Oh,  please,  now,  Susan,  don't  begin  to  preach ! " 

Ames  asked  if  their  stay  was  to  be  long  in  Venice, 
and  they  replied  that  in  consequence  of  some  repairs 
to  the  yacht's  engine  they  would  stay  a  week  at  the 
very  least,  especially  as  Senator  Wigan  and  his  wife, 
who  travelled  with  them,  had  left  for  Padua  the 
night  before,  and  were  going  to  Verona.  Ames  said 
that  he,  also,  had  some  guests,  but  that  a  few  of  them 
were  leaving  him.  He,  also,  would  remain  a  week. 

"  We  don't  yet  know  your  name,"  said  Ada  Yorks, 
and  Ames  produced  his  card. 

She  took  it,  and  after  reading  it  exclaimed: 

"  M.  P. !  Well,  Mr.  Ames,  that's  just  as  it  should 
be.  If  a  man's  to  be  a  politician,  the  younger  he 
can  start  the  better.  And  so,  as  we've  got  to  shop, 


166      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

as  you  say  in  England,  good-bye  for  the  present. 
We're  going  to  Murano  this  afternoon;  I  wonder  if 
you'd  like  to  come  ?  " 

Ames  said  that  nothing  would  please  him  more 
than  to  visit  the  island  she  had  named,  and  it  was 
arranged  that  he  should  call  for  them  at  three. 

They  left,  and  Ames,  after  sauntering  through 
the  gallery  and  thinking  over  his  chat  with  this 
vivacious  person,  was  satisfied  beyond  measure  with 
it,  and  he  went  back  to  his  gondola  with  heightened 
spirits,  telling  the  men  they  need  not  row  so  fast, 
and  enjoying  the  urban  scene. 

In  several  canals  he  noticed  warehouses  that  had 
once  been  palaces,  and  told  himself  that  in  these 
mansions  had  once  lived  the  men  who  had  practised 
virtu.  Ah,  well !  he  wondered  if  they  had  been  happy. 
No  doubt  they  had — those  of  them,  at  least,  with 
whom  the  system  had  agreed.  Did  it  agree  with 
him?  The  future  must  be  left  to  answer  that.  In 
the  meantime  he  was  pleased  with  the  results  he  had 
obtained. 

When  he  reached  the  Exe,  the  lunch  was  already 
served.  As  he  took  his  seat,  he  quickly  noticed  a 
certain  change  in  the  complexion  of  the  party.  Edith 
and  the  doctor,  side  by  side,  were  in  joyous  conver- 
sation, while  Sybil  and  the  poet  appeared  to  be  on 
the  best  of  terms.  The  Lairds,  on  the  other  hand, 
looked  glum,  although  Moore  spoke  to  them,  and 
Miss  Olane  appeared  distressed.  A  process  of  nat- 
ural selection  was  going  on,  Ames  thought,  and  it 
was  not  to  the  liking  of  a  section.  They  spoke  of 
the  places  they  had  visited,  and  then  someone  said: 

"That  yacht,  we  heard  in  town,  belongs  to  Ada 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       167 

Yorks,  the  daughter  of  the  great  financial  king. 
She's  an  orphan,  fabulously  rich,  and  moves  about 
the  world  like  that." 

"  Yes,"  said  Moore,  "  I've  obtained  an  introduc- 
tion to  her." 

Ames  had  suddenly  begun  a  conversation  with  the 
elder  Laird  girl,  and  appeared  not  to  have  heard  this 
said ;  but  he  took  heed  of  Moore's  remark  and  real- 
ised that  he  must  play  his  cards  with  skill.  The 
men  of  the  party  looked  annoyed,  and  were  no  doubt 
envying  Moore's  luck.  Ames  felt  quite  sure  that  the 
presence  of  this  affluent  American  would  disturb  their 
equanimity  and  interfere  with  the  interests  of  the 
other  women  of  his  party.  It  was  not  long  before 
he  had  a  proof  of  this,  for  presently  Edith,  who 
seldom  criticised,  declared  that  she  had  seen  this  Ada 
Yorks,  and  thought  her  horribly  bad  form.  Sybil 
shrugged  her  shoulders  and  went  on  talking  with 
the  poet  about  art,  and  as  Ames  looked  at  her  he 
could  not  help  admitting  that  little  round-faced  Ada 
would  never  be  compared  with  her.  Ah!  but  Ada 
Yorks  was  fresh. 

As  soon  as  the  lunch  was  over,  Ames  disappeared 
into  his  cabin,  telling  the  steward  that  he  wished 
to  rest  awhile  and  that  he  must  not  be  disturbed. 
By  the  time  of  his  appointment,  he  hoped  that  all 
his  guests  would  have  gone  on  shore;  but  when  he 
went  on  deck  he  found  it  in  the  solitary  occupation 
of  Stephen  Moore,  who  was  busily  engaged  in  draw- 
ing on  a  pair  of  grey  suede  gloves. 

"  Moore,"  he  said,  "  I've  a  special  favour  to  ask 
you." 

"  Granted,  my  dear  Ames,  of  course." 


168      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  to  go  at  once  for  me  to  30 
Via  Santo  Stefano  and  to  inquire  if  an  artist  of 
the  name  of  Allard  lives  there  still,  and  if  he  does 
to  bring  him  back  with  you  if  you  find  him  in.  He 
will  remember  me,  since  we  were  at  school  together, 
and  I  want  to  speak  to  him  at  once,  if  he's  still  alive. 
Should  he  have  left,  try  to  ascertain  where  he  has 
gone.  I  would  go  myself  but  have  an  appointment 
presently.  I  shall  probably  be  back  by  the  time  that 
you  return." 

Moore  was  visibly  disgusted,  yet  he  forced  himself 
to  say: 

"  Of  course  if  it  is  urgent " 

"Oh,  it  is!" 

"  In  that  case,  I  had  better  go  at  once ;  thirty, 
you  said  the  number  was." 

"  Yes ;  so  much  obliged !  " 

'As  Moore  was  moving  down  the  ladder  to  the 
boat  he  turned  and  gave  Ames  a  suspicious  glance. 
However,  he  said  nothing,  and  presently  he  climbed 
the  steps  of  the  landing  stage  and  moved  away  to  the 
gondola  station.  As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight 
Ames  had  himself  conveyed  to  the  Lohengrin,  and  he 
reached  the  deck  just  as  the  ladies  were  appear- 
ing. 

"  Miss  Vandek  has  been  scolding  me,"  said  Ada, 
"  for  taking  you  away  from  your  guests  the  very 
day  you  have  arrived." 

"  My  guests,"  Ames  answered,  "  are  having  so 
good  a  time  in  Venice  that  they  can't  begrudge  me 
the  great  enjoyment  which  you  have  offered  me  this 
afternoon." 

She  smiled. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       169 

"  Come  along  down,  then,  and,  Susan,  no  more 
preaching." 

The  motor  boat  awaited  them  at  the  foot  of  the 
companion  ladder,  and  in  a  few  moments  they  were 
tearing  through  the  lagoons,  past  island  citadels  and 
monasteries,  towards  their  destination. 

"  A  wonderful  boat,"  said  Ames,  as  he  noticed  the 
speed  at  which  they  travelled.  "  It  braces  the  body 
and  improves  the  will  to  go  through  the  air  so  fast." 

"  Well,  now  that's  exactly  what  I  think,"  said 
Ada.  "  Mr.  Ames,  you've  got  a  sense  of  things." 

Encouraged  by  his  success,  Ames  then  continued: 

"  And,  after  all,  we  must  be  of  our  age.  The 
feature  of  these  times  is  speed.  The  laggards  have 
no  business  in  them.  All  new  means  of  locomotion 
give  us  greater  power  over  space." 

He  called  this  talking  largely,  but  he  knew  Amer- 
icans were  fond  of  rather  high-flown  speech. 

"  Of  course,"  she  said ;  "  particularly  when  we 
know  that  in  another  century  we'll  be  pitied  for  our 
sluggishness  in  this." 

Then  she  fell  to  speaking  of  her  life  in  Boston,  of 
the  Englishmen  who  came  out  there  from  time  to 
time,  "  on  spec,"  laughing  heartily  at  the  meaning 
which  she  seemed  to  give  the  term,  asking  her  com- 
panion if  she  remembered  that  "  poor  Lord  Blankly," 
who  had  spent  a  winter  "  of  research." 

"  Do  you  share,"  asked  Ames,  "  the  fondness  of 
a  section  of  your  countrywomen  for  the  nobility  of 
Britain?" 

"  I'm  glad  you've  asked  the  question,"  she  replied, 
"  so  that  I  may  tell  you  right  out,  no.  My  father 
was  republican  in  thought  as  much  as  name,  and  he 


170      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

made  me  promise  that  I  wouldn't  imitate  the  silly 
girls  at  home  who  worship  lords.  He  needn't  have 
done  that.  I'm  not  that  kind  of  paste." 

"  I  guessed  it,"  Ames  exclaimed  enthusiastically. 
"  You  struck  me  as  so  different ! " 

They  reached  the  island,  landed  and  visited  its 
church,  which  Miss  Vandek  admired,  but  which  Ada 
thought  deserving  of  only  a  hasty  glance.  Then 
they  went  to  the  glass  factory,  and  were  shown  the 
process  by  which  the  famed  Venetian  glasswork  is 
produced,  the  artificers  at  their  furnaces,  and  the 
vases,  necklaces,  and  ornaments,  as  they  passed 
through  their  hands.  This  interested  Ada,  who  in 
very  fair  Itah'an  questioned  a  young  workman  with 
bared  chest  and  arms  as  to  the  blowing  of  the  glass, 
a  feat  which  he  performed  repeatedly  for  her  espe- 
cial benefit.  Then,  afterwards,  they  inspected  the 
museum  of  finished  wares  and  made  some  purchases. 
And  while  Miss  Vandek  was  buying  an  epergne, 
Ames  and  Ada  strolled  a  little  lower  down  the  gallery. 

"  I  cannot  say  how  glad  I  am  that  we  have  met," 
he  said,  as  they  stopped  before  a  glass  case  full  of 
lamps.  "  The  people  on  the  yacht  were  so  monoto- 
nous ! " 

"  You  have  some  very  pretty  women  on  the  yacht, 
at  all  events,"  she  said. 

Ames  assented  dubiously. 

"Prettiness  I  like  combined  with  vivacity  and 
charm." 

"  Some  day,"  she  declared,  "  you  must  tell  me  all 
about  yourself,  and  I  will  tell  you  all  about  7m/self." 

"  My  story  is  soon  told.  I  was  educated  here  in 
Italy.  I  studied  art,  became  an  artist,  when  a  rela- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      171 

tive  died  who  left  me  what  I  think  you  call  a  pile. 
Since  then  I  have  become  a  politician,  and  I  lead  a 
bachelor's  existence." 

"  My  history  is  not  much  longer.  I  was  brought 
up  in  Boston,  was  my  father's  only  child,  and  when 
he  died  I,  too,  inherited.  Since  then  I've  done  noth- 
ing but  take  myself  from  place  to  place,  seeking  I 
don't  know  what." 

"  Seeking  happiness,  perhaps,  like  most  of  us." 

"  Yes ;  happiness  that  a  few  only  find." 

"  Often  because  they  fail  to  seize  it  when  it  is 
within  their  grasp." 

But  it  was  not  in  her  nature  to  dwell  on  serious 
subjects  long,  and  she  soon  exclaimed: 

"  I  do  declare,  they've  actually  made  a  little  man !  " 
and  she  pointed  to  an  impish  figure  in  the  cabinet 
which  had  been  moulded  seemingly  in  glass. 

"  A  perfect  little  devil,"  Ames  ventured,  and  they 
laughed. 

"  It's  strange,"  he  said,  "  I  only  know  you  since 
this  morning,  and  yet  it  seems  to  me  I've  known  you 
all  my  life." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Ames,  I've  much  the  same  impression 
about  you." 

"  That  cannot  be  a  mere  effect  of  chance." 

"  PVaps  not." 

"  To-morrow  night,"  said  Ames,  "  is  the  Feast  of 
the  Redentore,  and  if  you  and  Miss  Vandek  will  do 
me  the  great  honour  to  come  and  dine  with  us  on 
board  the  Exe  we'll  go  afterwards  in  gondolas  to 
hear  the  band  on  the  laguna  and  to  see  the  illumina- 
tions." 

Ada  clapped  her  hands. 


172       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  With  pleasure,  Mr.  Ames,"  and  she  immediately 
ran  off  to  her  companion  to  acquaint  her  with  the 
news,  causing  the  glass  to  rattle  in  the  cases  as 
she  ran.  Miss  Vandek  accepted  the  invitation  gra- 
ciously, and  they  left  the  glass  works  with  the  project 
in  their  minds. 

On  the  steps  of  the  church  they  saw  a  beggar 
woman  with  a  child,  and  Ames  asked  himself  what 
Ada  Yorks  would  do  at  such  a  sight. 

She  simply  asked  her  companion  for  her  purse, 
opened  it,  saw  that  it  contained  a  few  gold  pieces, 
and  emptied  it  into  the  lap  of  the  poor  woman. 

"  Santa  Maria! "  the  latter  exclaimed,  and  was 
about  to  rise,  when  Ames  folio  wed  .Ada's  example  and 
emptied  his  own  purse  into  the  woman's  apron.  She 
placed  her  child  upon  the  pavement,  gathered  up 
the  coins,  rose  and  overwhelmed  them  with  her  grati- 
tude, kissing  their  hands  repeatedly.  Never,  prob- 
ably, since  the  Middle  Ages,  when  purse-flinging  was 
a  princely  practice,  had  a  beggar  of  Murano  had 
so  much. 

"Is  it  not  pleasant,"  Ames  said,  as  they  moved 
away,  "  to  be  able  to  command  this  means  of  giving 

joy?" 

"  It  is.     It  makes  one  feel  just  regal." 

**  We  are  two  potentates,"  Ames  ventured. 

*e  Yes,  and  that's  all  right.  Since  we  both  possess, 
we  can  be  friends  without  suspecting  each  other  of 
cupidity." 

They  reached  the  boat  and  embarked  again.  As 
it  was  still  early,  Ada  proposed  a  trip  in  the  other 
direction,  towards  the  Lido,  and  they  started  off  at 
the  same  pace,  making  deep  furrows  in  the  water 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      173 

and  attracting  the  attention  even  of  the  passing  gon- 
doliers, accustomed,  nevertheless,  to  foreign  eccen- 
tricities. 

Ames  had  asked  to  be  landed  at  a  stage  near  the 
post  office,  as  he  had  a  telegram  to  send,  and  accord- 
ingly he  landed  there  after  an  extremely  cordial  leave- 
taking  with  both  ladies. 

At  the  post  office  he  telegraphed  to  Winston  as 
to  the  family  of  Yorks,  merely  for  form's  sake,  be- 
cause he  knew,  as  all  the  world  did,  of  their  colossal 
wealth.  Then,  after  a  short  stroll  on  the  piazza, 
he  went  back  to  the  ship. 

There  he  found  Moore  pacing  the  deck  again  and 
looking  extraordinarily  gloomy. 

Without  looking  at  Ames,  he  said : 

"  I  did  your  errand.  The  man  died  last  Septem- 
ber." 

"  Dead !  "  said  Ames.  "  And  I  wanted  to  set  him 
up  in  life." 

Moore  did  not  reply,  and  when  Ames  thanked  him, 
he  said,  still  without  taking  his  eyes  off  the 
deck: 

"  Pleased  to  be  of  service  to  you,  I'm  sure." 

Ames  left  his  friend,  informed  the  steward  that  he 
would  not  be  there  for  dinner,  and  forthwith  went  on 
shore.  He  dined  at  a  restaurant  on  the  piazza,  and 
afterwards  walked  to  the  station.  Constance  was 
already  there,  and  in  deep  mourning.  She  was  graver 
than  he  had  ever  seen  her,  and  had  not  cast  off  her 
hauteur. 

"  I  scarcely  expected  you,"  she  said.  "  I  thought 
that,  as  you  left  me  alone  all  day,  you  might  find  it 
too  much  trouble  to  come  here." 


174      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

He  excused  himself  as  best  he  could ;  there  was  no 
appointment,  and  he  had  been  busy. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  much  of  you  to-day,"  she 
said.  "  You  are  standing  on  the  edge  of  a  social 
precipice.  I  should  be  sorry  if  you  fell  into  it,  but 
if  you  do  you  will  have  no  one  but  yourself  to  blame." 

"  I  should  be  so  much  obliged,"  he  said,  "  if  you 
would  be  more  explicit." 

"  You  think  that  wealth  can  brave  and  accomplish 
everything.     Well,  wait  and  see." 
•    "  One  thing  is  certain,  that  without  it,  the  other 
power,  ancient  prestige,  declines  and  becomes  impo- 
tent." 

"  It  is  wonderful  how  you  calculate.  One  would 
think  you  were  a  trader's  son." 

"  No,  my  father  knew  nothing  about  trade,  unfor- 
tunately. He  could  not  calculate.  Therefore  it 
must  be  supposed  he  was  more  of  a  gentleman  than 
I." 

*'  You  are  cynical,"  she  said.  "  You  think,  no 
doubt,  you  can  afford  to  be." 

"  Really,  I  have  no  such  thought." 

"  Is  it  possible  that  you  should  be  so  cold ! " 

"  If  my  temperature  were  taken  now,  it  would  be 
found  to  be  above  the  normal." 

She  turned  from  him  with  impatience. 

"  Listen,"  he  said.  "  In  the  present  case  there  is 
nothing  to  be  done  but  trust  in  the  natural  tendency 
of  human  things  to  arrange  themselves  in  the  best 
way  possible.  There  are  few  of  us  who  can  mould 
destiny.  It  is  foolish  to  fret  for  disappointment. 
Love  is  an  antique  passion  no  longer  to  be  faund  in 
real  life,  and  you  know,  as  well  as  I,  that  we  have 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       175 

often  scoffed  at  it  ourselves.  Go  back  to  your  inter- 
ests. Tend  them  well,  and  if,  as  I  am  sorry  to  feel 
sure,  they  are  defective,  then  remember  that  in  me, 
if  you  like,  you  have  a  friend." 

She  looked  upon  the  ground  and  seemed  to  strug- 
gle with  conflicting  feelings.  He  guessed  what  was 
passing  in  her  mind.  He  had  let  her  know  that  he 
knew  her  need,  and  she  was  troubled  that  he  knew. 

Her  maid  appeared.  It  was  time  to  take  seats 
in  the  express,  and  they  walked  together  to  it. 

Suddenly  Constance  had  become  mute.  To  some 
inquiries  he  made  as  to  her  journey,  she  assented  with 
a  nod,  and  when  the  signal  was  given  for  departure 
she  stood  at  the  carriage  window  and  held  out  her 
hand  to  him  without  looking  into  his  face,  withdraw- 
ing the  moment  the  train  started.  In  another  mo- 
ment the  express  had  disappeared,  and  Ames  was 
walking  back.  It  was  a  pity  he  was  leaving  her, 
he  thought,  for  she  really  was  an  ornamental  person, 
but  he  knew  full  well  that  he  could  never  have  made 
up  his  mind  to  marry  her.  No  doubt,  had  he  done 
so,  she  might  have  aided  his  advancement,  but  her 
aid  would  have  been  of  a  kind  he  did  not  like.  It 
would  have  meant  trammelled  power  and  perpetual 
subservience.  No,  she  was  not  the  woman  he  re- 
quired. No,  she  would  not  suit.  Possibly  she  would 
become  vindictive  later  on.  Well,  he  must  take  his 
chance  of  that.  That  was  a  danger  of  the  fight. 
He  returned  to  the  Exe  and  went  to  bed. 

The  next  day  at  lunch  he  announced  the  Redentore 
party.  He  had  engaged  gondolas,  he  said,  and  had 
invited  "  our  neighbours,"  as  He  called  them,  who 
were  to  dine  with  them  before  they  left. 


176      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

The  announcement  was  received  with  no  astonish- 
ment, but  with  some  enigmatic  smiles.  The  majority 
appeared  to  know  what  was  arranged.  Moore,  Ames 
thought,  must  after  all  have  introduced  himself. 
Well,  never  mind,  the  chances  of  Stephen  Moore  were 
not  of  a  too  formidable  kind.  He  felt  again,  how- 
ever, that  the  women  of  the  party  were  incensed 
against  him  and  that  nothing  but  their  interests 
prevented  them  from  showing  that  they  were. 

Edith  remarked  at  length: 

"  I  did  not  know,  Mr.  Ames,  you  were  acquainted 
with  Miss  Yorks." 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Sybil  languidly. 

"  Indeed?  "  Ames  said.    "  Well,  then,  I  am." 

They  perceived  by  his  manner  that  he  was  not 
inclined  for  banter  and  they  said  no  more.  They 
could  not  well  afford,  he  knew,  to  quarrel  with  their 
host.  There  was  always  an  advantage  in  dispensing 
hospitality. 

In  the  afternoon  Ames,  with  the  Lairds,  strolled 
through  the  shopping  thoroughfares  and  visited  the 
Doge's  Palace,  while  the  doctor  and  Edith,  Sybil, 
and  the  poet  went  off  on  an  excursion  to  the  Lido, 
where  they  wished  to  bathe.  But  as  he  was  waiting 
for  the  family  outside  a  milliner's,  where  they  were 
making  purchases,  he  was  confronted  by  Lucy. 

He  raised  his  hat  and  was  about  to  greet  her, 
when  she  stopped,  looked  into  his  eyes,  and  said  in  a 
low  tone,  "  I  hate  you ! "  and  passed  along. 

At  first  he  was  inclined  to  follow  her,  but  was 
restrained  by  a  realisation  of  the  danger  of  that 
course.  If  she  said  she  hated,  it  was  plain  that  she 
still  loved,  and  he  had  only  to  take  pains  to  win  her. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       177 

No,  he  would  not  do  that  in  spite  of  her  transcendent 
beauty,  in  comparison  with  which  all  others  sank  to 
insignificance.  Nevertheless  the  hate  would  easily 
really  be  hate  if  not  converted,  and  therefore  it  was 
evident  that  there  were  rocks  ahead.  He  was  incur- 
ring enmities  of  no  uncertain  kind.  No  matter;  he 
was  not  afraid.  It  was  his  fate  in  life  to  disappoint, 
and  he  must  be  resigned  to  doing  so. 

In  the  evening,  after  he  had  given  special  instruc- 
tions to  his  chef  for  the  baptism  of  an  ice  as  glace 
a  la  Ada  YorJcs,  he  waited  on  the  deck  for  his  two 
guests. 

They  came  as  the  clock  struck  seven,  Ada  in  a 
white  muslin  dress,  which  made  her  look  so  girlish 
and  so  simple  that  it  was  impossible  to  think  her  the 
possessor  of  the  revenue  of  ten  ambassadors,  and 
Miss  Vandek  in  a  rose  silk  gown,  which  suited 
her. 

When  he  had  introduced  them  to  the  party,  notic- 
ing how  eager  the  latter  were,  in  spite  of  all,  to  meet 
her,  Ames  led  Ada  down  to  dinner,  while  the  doctor 
was  deputed  to  conduct  her  friend. 

Moore,  whom  Ada  had  seen  before  that  day  ap- 
parently, was  left  to  his  own  devices.  The  meal  was 
gay.  The  cheer  was  excellent  and  Ames  maintained 
the  conversation  at  a  level  it  had  not  reached  before, 
appealing  to  Ada,  on  his  right,  for  confirmation  of 
what  he  said,  and  doing  his  utmost  to  amuse  her. 
He  knew  quite  well  that  the  contrast  was  too  plain 
between  his  vivacity  that  night  and  the  somewhat 
sober  air  which  he  had  worn  upon  the  voyage,  but 
he  did  not  care,  convinced  he  was  on  the  most  aus- 
picious track. 


178      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

When  the  dessert  was  over,  a  seaman  came  in  to 
announce  that  the  gondolas  were  waiting. 

The  party  went  on  deck,  and  Ames  distributed  the 
guests  in  the  two  crafts.  Edith,  Sybil,  with  the  poet 
and  Moore,  formed  one  party,  while  the  Lairds  and 
the  doctor,  the  two  guests  and  Ames  composed  the 
other.  Moore  had  endeavoured  to  join  the  latter, 
but  Ames  had  firmly  intimated  that  he  wished  him  to 
look  after  the  other  ladies,  especially  as  he  could 
speak  Italian,  which  the  doctor  could  not. 

Then  they  started  along  the  lagoons  beneath  a 
starlit  sky,  their  craft  bedecked  with  Chinese  lan- 
terns, their  men  singing  boatmen's  songs.  Ames  was 
seated  at  the  end  of  the  gondola  close  to  Ada.  The 
doctor,  the  Lairds,  and  Miss  Vandek  were  rather 
nearer  to  the  centre  of  the  boat.  Ada  was  more 
thoughtful  than  she  had  been  the  previous  day,  al- 
though she  seemed  to  be  greatly  pleased.  They 
reached  the  large  pontoon,  on  which  the  band  had 
already  begun  to  play,  and  took  a  place  with  the 
other  gondolas  amid  the  crowd  of  boats  which  clus- 
tered round  it,  filled  with  people  of  all  nationalities. 
The  sound  of  the  music  enabled  Ames  to  speak  with 
Ada  without  being  overheard.  She  said: 

"  I  had  a  visit  from  your  friend  this  morning. 
Indeed,  he  called  yesterday  afternoon  after  we  re- 
turned, but  I  could  not  see  him." 

"  Well,"  said  Ames,  "  what  do  you  think  of  him?  " 

"  Oh !  I've  seen  his  type  before.  I've  a  large  col- 
lection of  them  in  Boston.  They  don't  all  call  them- 
selves '  The  Honourables.'  I  should  say  a  man  with 
such  a  title  ought  to  be  the  very  best  principled  of 
men." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       179 

"  And  should  you  imagine  that  he  was  as  you 
describe?  " 

"  I  think,"  she  answered,  laughing,  "  he  has  too 
great  a  fondness  for  the  chase.  No  doubt  he  inher- 
ited that  from  his  ancestors." 

Ames  joined  in  the  laugh  at  the  expense  of  Moore, 
who,  in  the  other  boat,  was  casting  furtive  glances 
at  Ames  and  Ada. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  Ames,  "  that  in  your  position 
you  must  conceive  a  poor  idea  of  our  sex." 

"  Not  of  you,  Mr.  Ames,  at  any  rate,"  she  an- 
swered. 

At  that  moment  Ames  made  up  his  mind.  That 
was  all  the  encouragement  he  needed.  Yes,  his  wife 
was  found. 

"  Thank  you  for  saying  so,"  he  said,  with  pur- 
posive simplicity. 

The  band  was  playing  an  air  from  Rigoletto  and 
the  boats  were  gathering  around  the  illuminated 
stand  in  ever-increasing  numbers.  The  air  was  close 
and  still.  He  murmured: 

"  I'm  oppressed  with  a  fear  lest  we  should 
lose  you  soon!  How  long  shall  you  remain  in 
Venice?  " 

"  Well,  Senator  Wigan  and  his  wife  will  be  back  in 
about  three  days,  and  then  we're  going  to  Algiers." 

"  It  is  as  I  feared,"  Ames  said  despondingly.  "  In 
a  few  days  you  will  have  vanished  from  my  sight." 

"  Unless  you  come  with  us." 

"  With  how  much  pleasure !  But  my  party  ?  I 
have  promised  to  take  them  on  to  Greece ! " 

"  Send  them  along  to  the  Piraeus  in  your  little  boat 
in  charge  of  Mr.  Moore." 


180      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Certainly,"  said  Ames.  "  A  capital  idea !  It 
shall  be  done." 

Then  they  exchanged  glances,  and  Ames  felt  sure 
that  she  understood  what  the  future  was  to  be. 

The  night  of  the  Redentore  had  been  successful. 
The  Lairds  might  glance  at  him  reproachfully. 
Moore,  in  the  other  boat,  might  glare.  If  there  was 
any  confidence  to  be  placed  in  the  gestures  of  rich 
girls,  he  was  as  good  as  her  accepted  suitor.  Of  that 
he  had  no  doubt,  and  he  was  satisfied.  A  dominant 
position  was  assured.  It  was  agreed  that  no  men- 
tion of  the  plan  should  be  made  to  anyone  until  the 
arrival  of  the  senatorial  pair  who  were,  as  she  ex- 
plained, her  second  parents,  and  to  whom  she  was 
eager  to  introduce  him  soon. 

They  stayed  an  hour  longer,  listening  to  the  music 
and  looking  at  the  scene,  and  as  they  were  reaching 
the  yachts  on  the  return  journey  Ada  asked: 

"  Why  do  you  call  your  ship  the  Exe?  " 

"  Because  Exe  once  represented  the  unknown. 
Now  she  shall  be  rechristened — a  name  which  begins 
with  A." 

She  smiled  approvingly. 

"  I  named  mine  Lohengrin  in  ignorance  of  whom 
Lohengrin  should  be.  But  now  I  think  I've  ascer- 
tained. Come  early  to-morrow  morning  and  we'll 
have  a  spin  on  the  lagoon." 

He  pressed  her  hand,  and  with  his  party  moved 
round  to  the  Exe.  With  wonderful  unanimity,  Ames 
thought,  all  his  guests  descended  to  their  cabins  as 
soon  as  they  stepped  on  board,  and  he  was  left  to 
pace  the  deck  alone.  There,  in  that  vessel  which 
loomed  large  and  black  in  the  half  obscurity,  would 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       181 

soon  be  sleeping  the  potential  maiden  with  whom  he 
was  to  pass  his  days  in  future.  Did  he  love  her?  he 
inquired  of  himself.  .Well,  he  had  a  warm  regard,  and 
that  was  ample  for  the  purposes  of  nature.  Love 
was  a  sentiment  for  spendthrifts  in  most  cases.  Even 
kings  habitually  dispensed  with  it,  when  they  made 
dynastic  marriages,  and  who  was  he  that  he  should 
demand  more  than  they  obtained?  Luxury  and  power 
were  benefits  which  lasted  and  ennobled.  Love  alone 
decayed.  When  would  those  foolish  novelists  perceive 
how  far  they  were  from  the  spirit  of  the  times? 

The  next  three  days  were  spent  in  excursions  to 
the  islands  and  in  visits  to  museums,  and  each  after- 
noon Ames  took  tea  on  board  the  Lohengrin.  Moore, 
who  had  been  restless  and  depressed  since  the  night 
of  the  Redentore,  was  invited  on  one  of  these  occa- 
sions. 

"  What  I  can't  make  out,"  he  said  to  Ames,  as 
they  were  going  together  to  the  American  vessel, 
"  is  how  you  came  to  know  Miss  Yorks." 

"Is  it  not  mysterious?"  said  Ames,  with  a  quiet 
smile. 

"  I  suppose  you  mean  to  marry  her." 
"  Marry,  Moore?    Do  you  think  that  would  be  a 
good  idea  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  from  a  cumulative  point  of  view." 
"  From  many  other  points  of  view,  I  hope." 
They  reached  the  vessel.     Ada  said  as  they  took 
seats  beneath  the  awning  on  the  after-deck : 
"  Why,  Mr.  Moore,  you're  looking  ill !  " 
"  Perhaps  the  climate  does  not  suit  me." 
"  You'll  find  the  air  in  Greece  much  better  than  on 
these   lagoons.      I   remember   after  a  walk   on   the 


182      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Acropolis  I  had  an  appetite  which  was  quite  phenom- 
enal. Please  give  my  love  to  the  dear  old  stones." 

"  I  wish,"  said  Moore,  "  that  you  were  coming 
srith  us." 

Ada  smiled. 

"  It's  kind  of  you  to  say  so,  but  we  are  going 
in  the  contrary  direction." 

"  Spain  ?  "  Moore  ventured. 

"  No ;  somewhere,  it  may  be,  in  North  Africa." 

Ames  could  not  help  admiring  the  resourcefulness 
of  Ada,  and  more  than  ever  he  considered  her  a  fit- 
ting partner.  He  was  destined  to  become,  perhaps, 
an  adept  in  virtik. 

At  length  the  Wigans  came  back  from  Vienna,  and 
on  the  evening  of  their  return  Ames  dined  on  board 
the  Lohengrin.  He  found  the  senator  an  intelligent 
and  well-bred  man  of  sound  and  moderate  ideas,  and 
at  once  he  was  on  the  best  of  terms  with  him.  His 
wife  was  not  less  intelligent,  and  although  both  were 
grey,  they  looked  still  young.  Ada  explained  that 
Ames  was  coming  with  them  to  Algiers,  while  his  own 
yacht  went  on  to  Greece,  because  he  might  require 
to  return  to  England  sooner  than  he  had  anticipated 
and  at  Algiers  he  was  within  easy  call.  The  Wigans 
accepted  this  explanation  easily,  and  the  whole  thing 
was  arranged. 

The  start  had  been  fixed  for  six  o'clock  next  morn- 
ing, and  Ada  asked  if  that  would  be  too  early  for 
Ames.  But  he  declared  that  it  would  suit  him  ad- 
mirably, that  in  the  early  morning  they  would  ob- 
tain a  view  of  Venice  which  would  be  unsurpassed. 

When  Ames  returned  to  the  Exe  the  whole  party 
had  gone  to  the  theatre  at  the  Lido  and  would  not 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      183 

be  back  for  at  least  two  hours.  What  should  he  do? 
Should  he  wait  and  tell  them  of  his  leaving  the  next 
morning?  If  he  did,  he  would  but  encounter  the 
veiled  sarcasms  of  the  women,  and,  besides,  he  was 
already  tired  and  wanted  to  "  turn  in."  What  could 
he  do  more  for  all  these  people  than  to  place  a  yacht 
at  their  disposal  ?  If  any  of  them  were  too  squeamish 
to  accept  such  hospitality  in  the  absence  of  the  host, 
well,  then  they  might  go  on  or  back  by  train.  In 
his  position,  not  one  of  them  would  have  refused 
Ada's  invitation.  Therefore,  why  should  he?  As 
he  was  thinking  thus  Barnes,  who  had  been  spending 
the  evening  on  shore,  came  up  the  side. 

"  Barnes,"  he  said,  "  I'm  leaving  you  to-morrow 
early.  I'm  going  back  on  the  Lohengrin.  Now  I 
want  you  to  stay  a  few  more  days,  say  three,  in 
Venice,  and  to  take  my  party  on  to  the  Piraeus,  where 
you  can  remain  a  fortnight  if  they  like.  Then  come 
straight  back  to  Southampton.  Here  is  a  sum  for 
ordinary  expenses.  My  agents  at  Southampton  will 
pay  the  crew  upon  arrival.  If  you  will  come  down 
to  my  cabin  I  will  give  you  a  line  for  Mr.  Moore. " 

Barnes  took  the  notes  which  Ames  handed  him,  and 
with  a  quiet  smile  followed  the  owner  down  below. 

Ames  wrote  a  short  letter  to  Moore,  in  which  he 
asked  him  to  inform  the  guests  of  his  departure,  to 
express  his  hope  that  they  would  excuse  him,  and 
that  they  would  have  a  pleasant  cruise. 

When  he  had  written  this,  however,  an  inhibition 
prevented  him  from  signing  it.  He  read  it  over  twice 
and  then  he  tore  it  up. 

"  No,  Barnes,  I  leave  this  matter  entirely  to  you. 
As  soon  as  Mr.  Moore  appears  on  deck  you  will 


184      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

please  inform  him  that  I  am  gone  off  on  the  Lohen- 
grin, and  that  I  hope  that  he  and  the  other  guests 
will  continue  the  cruise  as  planned.  That's  all.  And, 
Barnes,  should  they  be  very  much  annoyed  and  leave 
the  ship,  then  of  course  you  will  return  at  once.  In 
case  of  need  you  can  address  me  Poste  Restante, 
Algiers ;  but  there's  no  necessity  to  say  where  I  have 
gone.  Do  you  understand?  " 

"  Oh,  quite,"  said  the  captain.  "  I  suppose  I  may 
say  you're  sorry?  " 

Ames  reflected  for  a  moment. 

"  Yes,  you  may  say  that.  Good-night,  Barnes. 
I'm  very  satisfied  with  you.  Some  day  perhaps  you 
may  have  a  bigger  vessel  to  command.  You  must 
come  and  see  me  when  I'm  back  in  town." 

Barnes  shook  hands  with  Ames  and  left,  after 
wishing  his  master  a  pleasant  journey  on  that  splen- 
did ship. 

The  next  morning  Ames  was  up  at  five,  and  with 
the  aid  of  the  steward,  whom  he  warned  the  night 
before,  was  soon  dressed  and  packed.  At  a  quarter 
before  six,  while  all  was  quiet  on  the  yacht,  he  had 
himself  and  his  luggage  taken  to  the  Lohengrin, 
which  was  already  under  steam.  The  American  cap- 
tain received  him  cordially,  and  he  stood  upon  the 
bridge  with  him  to  watch  the  vessel  quit  the  port. 
Silently  she  left  her  moorings  at  the  side  of  the 
sleeping  Exe,  glided  out  into  the  waterway  and  was 
soon  at  full  speed  on  the  Adriatic.  Ames  cast  a 
last  look  at  the  island  city,  on  which  the  morning  sun 
was  shedding  a  rich  light.  There,  midst  the  towers 
and  cupolas,  were  the  women  who  had  wanted  to 
appropriate  him,  and  presently  they  would  wake  to 


THE  METHODS  OF,  MR.  AMES      185 

find  that  the  last  remains  of  a  forlorn  hope  had  van- 
ished !  That  was  how  wealth  made  destiny !  He  was 
thinking  thus  when  suddenly  he  became  aware  that 
Ada  was  standing  by  his  side. 

"  So  early ! "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  pressed  her  hand. 

"  Why,  yes.  I  couldn't  let  you  come  to  my  house 
and  feel  dull." 

"  So  kind  and  so  considerate." 

They  looked  at  Venice  and  he  spoke  of  its  former 
greatness,  of  the  golden  days  of  the  Republic,  when 
its  fleets  were  powerful  and  its  possessions  vast. 
There  Eastern  and  Western  art  were  joined,  there 
the  fruits  of  the  world  were  gathered.  Then  came 
Napoleon,  and  the  proud  city  fell  before  him;  next 
the  unity  of  Italy,  and  Venice  acquired  a  new  strength 
in  becoming  part  of  the  whole  empire. 

She  listened  to  him  attentively,  and  when  he  had 
finished  speaking  she  remarked  with  a  little  laugh : 

"  Yes,  unity  is  strength." 

The  next  few  days  were  days  of  much  amenity  for 
Ames.  Relieved  of  the  presence  of  the  women  he  had 
left  behind,  he  was  able  to  give  himself  up  entirely  to 
his  new  plans.  He  was  treated  by  all  on  board  with 
the  utmost  courtesy  and  he  felt  completely  satisfied 
with  the  step  which  he  had  taken.  Winston  had 
replied  before  he  left  that  all  was  as  well  as  it  possibly 
could  be  with  the  Yorks  estate,  and  therefore  there 
was  not  a  single  cloud  on  the  horizon.  Even  Miss 
Vandek,  whose  attitude  towards  him  had  at  first  been 
rather  more  reserved  than  he  had  liked,  became  ex- 
tremely amiable  and  took  great  pains  to  insure  his 
comfort  on  the  yacht. 

The  senator,  at  first,  was  inclined  to  be  somewhat 


186      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

inquisitorial,  but  Ames  was  careful  to  furnish  him 
with  proofs  of  his  bona  fides,  as  well  as  to  give  him  a 
description  of  his  mines,  which  entirely  convinced  the 
magnate,  who  was  himself  the  owner  of  extensive 
mineral  deposits. 

Ada,  in  the  satisfaction  of  having  him  on  board, 
grew  almost  pretty,  and  he  would  often  look  at  her 
and  tell  himself  that  after  all  she  was  by  no  means 
destitute  of  charm. 

At  meals  the  senator  would  generally  talk  politics 
with  Ames,  who  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
to  learn  the  working  of  the  political  system  in  the 
United  States,  a  subject  on  which  he  was  somewhat 
ignorant. 

"  You  should  not,"  Wigan  said,  "  give  too  much 
power  to  your  ministers  in  England.  Neither  in 
France  nor  in  America  are  they  allowed  to  be  so 
absolute.  It  is  a  great  mistake,  a  great  mistake." 

"  I  am  entirely  of  your  opinion,"  Ames  replied ; 
"  and  if  a  movement  were  originated  to  curtail  that 
power  I  would  be  the  first  to  join  it." 

"  Even,"  Ada  asked,  "  if  you  were  a  minister 
yourself?  " 

"  In  that  case,  of  course,  it  would  be  impossible." 

After  the  midday  meal,  the  day  after  the  de- 
parture, both  the  senator  and  his  wife  took  a  siesta 
and  Ames  and  Ada  were  left  alone  on  the  upper  deck 
where  the  coffee  was  usually  served. 

Ames  thought  it  well  to  change  the  tacit  under- 
standing that  existed  between  them  into  an  explicit 
one.  He  said: 

"  Since  I  met  you,  I  have  had  but  one  desire,  one 
intention,  and  one  aim." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       187 

Calmly  she  inquired: 

"What  is  that?" 

"  To  ask  you  if  you  will  accept  me  as  your  hus- 
band? " 

"  Why,  yes,  of  course,"  she  answered. 

He  took  her  hand  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips.  The 
bond  was  sealed.  The  future  dynasty  was  founded. 
He  was  conscious  of  the  feeling  of  repose  which  great 
decisions  give. 

A  little  later,  when  the  Wigans  came  on  deck,  Ada 
told  them  what  had  been  arranged. 

"  Mr.  Ames  and  I,"  she  said,  "  have  become  en- 
gaged and  I'm  quite  sure  that  no  one  in  the  world 
can  raise  objections.  Mr.  Ames  is  rich  and  so  am  I. 
Together,  I  reckon,  we  should  make  a  stir." 

This  was  not  idealistically  put,  Ames  thought, 
but  never  mind,  it  would  be  a  marriage  of  a  modern 
type.  Mrs.  Wigan  expressed  herself  delighted,  but 
her  husband  was  a  little  more  reserved.  No  doubt, 
Ames  thought,  he  meant  to  use  the  telegraph  con- 
cerning him  as  soon  as  he  got  on  shore.  He  was  at 
liberty  to  do  so,  since  he  was  no  adventurer,  but  a 
very  substantial  man. 

At  Algiers  they  stayed  at  a  hotel  at  Mustapha, 
and  Ada  had  scarcely  landed  when  she  ordered  a 
motor,  and  accompanied  by  Ames  and  Miss  Vandek, 
began  to  explore  the  country.  Each  day  after  a 
ramble  through  the  arcades  or  a  visit  to  the  Moorish 
quarter  of  the  town,  where  they  obtained  occasional 
glimpses  into  Arab  life  which  Ada  kodaked,  they 
went  for  what  she  called  a  run.  These  runs,  how- 
ever, were  not  to  Ames'  taste,  and  he  did  not  think 
they  ought  to  be  included  in  the  contract.  He  did 


188       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

not  object  to  motoring  at  reasonable  speeds,  but 
Ada,  in  her  rage  for  swiftness,  was  never  tired  of 
urging  the  chauffeur  to  approach  the  maximum. 
Ames  felt  that  he  had  yet  much  to  do  in  life  and  did 
not  want  to  run  the  risk  of  spoiling  or  ending  his 
career  for  the  sake  of  mere  velocity,  and  he  was  sur- 
prised that  she,  with  her  own  prospects,  should  be 
ever  ready  thus  to  jeopardise  her  life.  He  suggested 
once  or  twice  that  the  pace  was  dangerous,  but  in 
vain.  She  seemed  unable  to  resist  the  fascination 
of  high  speed,  and  Ames  resolved  that  after  they  were 
married  he  would  abandon  such  imprudences  at  once. 
One  night,  too,  at  a  ball  given  at  the  palace  of  the 
Governor,  she  danced  so  wildly  with  the  son  of  an 
Algerian  chief,  who  had  been  educated  at  Marseilles, 
that  Ames  began  to  fear  there  must  be  in  her  compo- 
sition some  element  of  impetuosity  which  he  would 
have  to  study  and,  if  possible,  to  eliminate.  Miss 
Vandek,  seemingly  so  calm,  appeared  accustomed  to 
Ada's  speed  and,  it  was  scarcely  doubtful,  derived 
enjoyment  from  it,  and  this  caused  Ames  to  meditate 
on  the  extraordinary  contradictions  of  the  female 
nature. 

After  they  had  been  a  week  in  Algiers,  the  senator's 
attitude  towards  Ames  became  more  than  ever 
friendly.  It  was  evident,  Ames  thought,  he  had  ob- 
tained information  on  his  score  and  was  satisfied  with 
it.  There  appeared  to  be  but  to  fix  the  time  and 
details  of  the  wedding.  Ada  said  that  at  that  period 
of  the  year  most  of  her  friends  were  in  Europe  and 
would  not  return  before  November,  which  month 
would  be  inconvenient  for  Ames'  affairs,  and  it  was 
ultimately  agreed  that  the  best  place  for  the  func- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       189 

tion  would  be  in  Paris,  and  the  most  fitting  time 
October.  All  her  friends  would  gather  round  her  in 
Paris  in  the  autumn,  Ada  said.  In  fact  she  had 
a  relative  who  lived  there  all  the  year  and  who  pos- 
sessed a  mansion  in  the  Avenue  Kleber.  Paris  was 
the  centre  of  the  world  and  it  was  impossible  to  make 
a  better  choice.  That  would  give  time,  the  senator 
observed,  for  the  transaction  between  the  lawyers  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and  he  proposed,  with 
Ada's  sanction,  that  the  "  contracting  parties " 
should  keep  their  respective  fortunes,  but  that  each 
should  execute  a  deed  bestowing  on  the  other  the 
totality  of  things  possessed  at  his  or  her  demise,  so 
long  as  they  were  man  and  wife  when  that  event  oc- 
curred. Ames,  after  some  reflection,  consented  to 
this  plan,  and  then  the  senator  disclosed  to  him  the 
vastness  of  the  Yorks  estate.  Ada,  he  said,  had 
never  yet  spent  more  than  a  small  share  of  her  income, 
which  exceeded  five  hundred  thousand  pounds.  With 
what  Ames  had,  he  said,  they  would  be  one  of  the 
richest  couples  in  the  world. 

All  that  was  satisfactory,  Ames  thought,  and  after 
it  was  settled  he  gave  himself  up  to  pure  enjoyment, 
feeling  that  the  world  was  meant  to  be  a  pleasant 
place  for  him. 

One  day,  as  he  was  motoring  with  the  two  ladies, 
they  passed  at  a  high  speed  through  the  negro  village 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  and  as  they  were  ap- 
proaching a  white-walled  hut  a  negro  child  rushed 
out  and  crossed  the  road  in  front  of  them,  escaping 
the  wheels  by  a  hair's  breadth.  The  parents,  hear- 
ing the  child's  shriek  of  terror,  came  out  and  made 
threatening  gestures  at  the  car,  which  Ames  had 


190       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

caused  to  stop.  They  found,  however,  that  no  harm 
was  done,  and  with  Oriental  mentability  began  at 
once  to  laugh.  During  the  incident,  Ames  had 
watched  his  future  wife.  She  had  appeared  un- 
moved. 

When  they  started  away  again,  she  said :  "  It 
was  only  a  little  black ! "  and  when  he  observed :  "  I 
suppose  you  do  not  rank  blacks  very  highly  in  the 
human  scale  ?  "  she  answered :  "  No,  my  great-grand- 
father was  a  planter  and  I  think  I  regard  them  some- 
what with  his  eyes." 

Upon  this  Ames  reflected  on  the  singular  hap- 
hazardness  of  marriage  which  committed  a  man  or  a 
woman  to  the  perpetuation  of  an  unknown  or  a  half- 
known  heredity.  What  surprises  might  there  not  be 
in  store  for  the  newly  married?  He  had  often  been 
of  opinion  that  a  record  should  be  kept  of  the  char- 
acteristics of  individuals  and  that  it  should  be  open 
to  those  about  to  marry,  for  many  generations  back. 

At  length  it  was  decided  to  cross  to  France,  and 
accordingly  they  embarked  again  on  the  Lohengrin, 
reaching  Marseilles  the  day  after  their  departure.  A 
day  was  spent  in  seeing  this  cosmopolis,  the  meeting 
ground  of  half  the  peoples  of  the  earth,  and  in  visit- 
ing the  famed  Corniche,  which  Ada  said  was  finer 
than  any  on  the  Riviera  proper.  Then  they  took 
the  express  for  Paris,  where  they  separated.  Ada 
went  to  stay  with  her  aunt  in  the  Avenue  Kleber,  while 
Ames  and  the  Wigans  took  rooms  at  the  Elysee 
Palace. 

And  then  began  for  Ames  a  life  of  shopping  and 
of  entertainment.  The  days  were  spent  in  purchas- 
ing the  most  beautiful  things  that  money  could  pro- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       191 

cure  in  jewelry,  in  furniture,  and  ornaments,  while 
the  nights  were  passed  at  the  theatre,  of  which  Ada 
was  extremely  fond,  at  the  Opera,  or  in  dining  at  the 
houses  of  Ada's  friends.  Ames  himself  made  no  visits 
among  the  English  colony,  having  previously,  when  a 
student,  had  experience  of  its  narrowness  and  cant, 
and  he  did  not  call  at  the  Embassy.  He  was  much, 
however,  in  the  society  of  scientific  men  and  of  artists, 
the  only  men,  he  thought,  whom  he  might  envy,  and 
of  a  different  type  from  the  political  politicians  with 
whom  he  would  have,  it  seemed,  to  pass  his  life. 

One  day  after  a  tour  in  the  Latin  Quarter,  as  he 
was  crossing  the  Pont  des  Arts,  he  perceived  an 
emaciated  man  in  faded,  worn-out  clothes,  gazing 
dejectedly  at  the  flowing  stream.  Recognising  an 
old  school  companion,  he  placed  his  hand  upon  his 
shoulder. 

"Mair!" 

The  man  turned  and  gazed  at  Ames  a  moment 
before  he  recognised  him.  At  length  he  muttered: 

"Ames!" 

As  he  seemed  unable  to  say  more,  Ames  questioned 
him  as  to  his  life  and  circumstances  and  gradually 
elicited  his  story  of  misfortune.  After  leaving 
Rome,  he  had  come  to  Paris  and  had  given  himself 
up,  heart  and  soul,  to  painting.  But  either  because 
he  had  not  enough  talent,  or  because  he  had  been 
unable  to  obtain  the  recognition  which  was  not  will- 
ingly bestowed  on  foreigners,  he  had  been  unsuccess- 
ful, had  fallen  to  a  state  of  penury  and  could  no 
longer  even  buy  materials. 

"  Well,"  said  Ames,  when  he  had  heard  his  story, 
"  you're  a  lucky  man ! " 


192       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Lucky ! "  repeated  Mair,  with  a  deprecating  ges- 
ture. "  How  can  you  say  that?  " 

"  Yes,  lucky  I  repeat,  lucky  in  meeting  me." 

Mair  looked  up  for  an  explanation,  which  was 
quickly  given  him. 

"  I,  Mair,  am  well  provided  with  the  essentials  of 
existence.  I  am  an  M.  P.,  I  am  about  to  start  a 
journal.  Can  you  write?  " 

It  was  a  few  moments  before  Mair  replied. 

"  You  are  prosperous !  You  are  an  M.  P. !  Ah, 
well!  Ah,  well!  You  ask  me  if  I  can  write.  You 
remember  that  in  the  old  days  I  wrote  for  an  art 
journal,  but  alas !  after  a  year  it  stopped." 

"  Give  up  art  and  take  to  criticising  it.  You  will 
not  be  the  first  man  who  has  done  that.  If  you  can 
in  any  way  satisfy  my  editor,  you  will  be  art  critic 
and  will  have  a  retaining  salary  until  we  start." 

Mair  grasped  Ames'  hand. 

"  Is  it  possible ! "  he  said.  "  I  was  going  to  throw 
myself  in  there  to-night." 

And  saying  this  he  pointed  to  the  Seine,  on  which 
the  carcass  of  a  dog  was  floating. 

"  Instead  of  that,"  said  Ames,  "  go  and  get  a  new 
outfit,  feed  up  a  little  at  Duval  and  then  take  a 
train  for  London.  Here  is  five  hundred  francs. 
Come  to  me  when  you  have  brightened  up,  at  the 
Elysee  Palace." 

Saying  this  he  thrust  the  note  into  Mair's  hand 
and  hurried  along  across  the  bridge,  as  he  was 
already  late  for  his  appointment  with  Ada  and  her 
aunt  at  the  milliner's  in  the  Rue  Royale.  He  had 
been  able  to  make  one  man  happy  that  afternoon, 
and  he  felt  somewhat  elated  at  the  thought. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       193 

Ada  wanted  his  advice  about  an  evening  dress  that 
she  was  ordering  because,  she  said,  he  was  an  artist 
and  she  was  not.  At  the  fashionable  modiste's,  they 
had  just  finished  an  elaborate  and  sumptuous  dinner 
gown  for  the  Queen  of  Albain,  and  they  permitted 
Ada  to  see  it  as  an  especial  favour.  Mrs.  Adams, 
her  aunt,  a  somewhat  portly  lady  of  fifty-five,  with 
silvery  hair  and  a  pleasant  face,  thought  the  garment 
wonderful  and  Ames,  appealed  to,  pronounced  it  in 
the  best  of  taste. 

Upon  this  Ada  declared  that  she  would  like  one  not 
on  the  same  model,  but  upon  similar  lines  of  elabora- 
tion and  profuseness.  The  proprietor  of  the  estab- 
lishment said  "  Certainly,"  but  added  that  he  felt 
himself  obliged  to  state  the  price,  which  was  ex- 
cessive. 

"  Well,"  said  Ada,  "  I  can  at  least  afford  as  much 
as  queens,"  and  Ames  wondered  if  she  was  going  to 
develop  this  purse-pride,  for  it  was  not  to  his  taste. 
But  of  course  there  was  no  knowing  what  she,  or  any 
woman,  would  develop  in  the  course  of  her  career. 
Ada  had  declared  that  in  addition  to  a  country  house 
in  England,  for  which  they  would  search  as  soon 
'as  they  were  married,  she  required  a  chateau  near 
Paris  and  a  villa  at  Mentone,  and  consequently  the 
consideration  of  the  plans  of  properties  and  visits 
to  those  estates  that  were  near  Paris  took  up  some 
time.  Finally  a  country  house  at  Noisy,  in  which 
Napoleon  was  said  to  have  passed  a  week,  attracted 
Ada's  fancy  and  she  acquired  it,  as  it  stood,  with  a 
considerable  wealth  of  antique  furniture.  Ames 
knew  quite  well  that  she  would  seldom  if  ever  use  it, 
but  the  price  was  very  moderate  and  he  did  not  wish 


194       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES 

to  contradict  her  at  that  stage.  The  villa  at  Men- 
tone,  or  perhaps  at  Bordighera,  would  be  chosen 
later  on. 

A  few  days  before  the  marriage,  Mrs.  Adams  gave 
a  dinner  in  her  palatial  house  and  to  it  she  invited  all 
the  sommites  she  knew.  There  were  a  minister  and 
an  explorer,  two  generals  and  a  famous  doctor,  or, 
as  the  Paris  papers  called  him,  a  prince  of  science, 
and  their  wives.  The  doctor  and  the  minister  were 
French,  and  the  others  were  American,  and  there 
was  a  Spanish  poet  and  an  English  peer,  besides  two 
couples  from  New  York.  Ames  was  profoundly 
bored,  although  he  found  a  little  compensation  for 
the  dulness  of  an  evening  among  a  host  of  strangers 
by  having  a  long  conversation  with  the  minister  on 
the  trade  relations  of  the  two  countries.  The  men, 
however,  spoke  to  him  with  something  akin  to  defer- 
ence and  the  women  looked  at  him  with  admiration. 
Probably,  Ames  thought,  if  he  had  been  an  ogre,  or  a 
caput  mortuum,  they  would  have  done  the  same.  A 
multi-millionaire  was  so  eminently  worth  knowing ! 

When  the  evening  was  over  and  the  guests  had  left, 
Ames  stayed  behind  to  take  leave  of  his  fiancee,  who 
declared  that  he  had  scarcely  spoken  to  her  all 
through  the  dinner ;  so  immersed  had  he  been  in  poli- 
tics. He  knew  that  this  was  true,  but  curiously 
enough  it  had  not  occurred  to  him  to  speak  to  her. 
When  he  had  anyone  more  intellectual  to  speak  to, 
all  Ada's  charm  seemed  to  sink  into  insignificance. 
He  realised,  however,  that  he  must  be  careful  not  to 
fall  into  habits  of  neglect,  because,  although  Ada's 
mental  furniture  was  strictly  limited,  she  possessed 
in  such  an  eminent  degree  the  power  of  acquiring  and 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      195 

using  the  results  obtained  by  the  knowledge  and  the 
cleverness  of  others  that  she  must  be  held  to  rank, 
in  some  way,  with  them. 

Therefore  he  made  profound  apologies.  He  did 
not  know  how  he  could  have  been  so  wanting  as  to 
allow  himself  to  be  monopolised  by  that  politician. 
His  excuse  was  that  he  was  a  minister  of  the  Republic, 
and  therefore  worthy  of  an  attentive  hearing. 

Ada  forgave  him  readily,  especially  when  he  had 
complimented  her  upon  her  gown,  and  he  knew  well 
that,  in  her  own  way,  she  was  very  much  in  love  with 
him — no  doubt,  he  thought,  for  the  superior  physique 
which  his  mirror  told  him  he  possessed.  Women 
loved  manly  beauty,  although,  when  poor,  they  would 
marry  ugliness  with  little  hesitation  for  the  sake  of 
sustenance.  And  in  truth  life  was  one  long  struggle, 
first  for  maintenance,  and  then  for  pleasure. 

Now  and  then  he  thought  of  Constance,  not  with- 
out a  certain  feeling  of  regret.  The  English  papers 
had  announced  his  approaching  marriage,  but  she 
had  remained  silent.  Yes,  for  she  had  some  dignity, 
and  that  was  well.  He  admired  dignity  in  women.  No 
doubt  she  would  be  revengeful  if  she  could  afford  to 
be  independent,  but  really,  in  a  soft  age  like  the 
present,  none  had  sufficient  energy  for  so  profitless 
a  sentiment  as  vengeance. 

From  Barnes  he  received  a  letter  dated  from  the 
Piraeus.  The  whole  party,  after  taking  counsel, 
had  decided  to  continue  the  voyage  as  originally 
planned,  and  they  desired  to  convey  their  thanks 
through  him  for  the  pleasant  trip  which  they  were 
having.  There  was,  Ames  knew,  a  certain  sarcasm 
in  this  method  of  conveying  thanks  through  Barnes. 


196      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

It  was  the  irony  of  poverty,  and  he  felt  that  it  was 
fully  merited.  All  the  same,  he  would  have  thought 
more  of  them  if  they  had  left  the  ship  en  bloc  on  his 
desertion.  But  this,  no  doubt,  their  pockets  would 
not  let  them  do.  Ah,  well!  it  was  all  for  the  best 
in  the  best  of  worlds,  and  perhaps,  relieved  of  his 
presence  and  the  envy  of  his  wealth,  some  of  his 
guests  might  find  mates  on  that  yacht.  If  so,  would 
he  not  deserve  their  gratitude? 

On  the  morning  of  the  marriage,  Ames  awoke  with 
what  he  described  to  himself  afterwards  as  a  neutral 
feeling.  He  was  neither  very  glad  nor  very  sorry 
that  it  was  his  wedding  day.  In  some  respects  he 
regarded  himself  as  sacrificed,  in  others  as  a  lucky 
man.  At  all  events,  he  was  resolved  that  he  would 
go  through  the  experience  with  philosophic  calm  and 
watch  the  march  of  destiny  with  a  balanced  mind. 
He  had  been  somewhat  puzzled  to  select  a  friend  to 
support  him  on  his  wedding  day.  When  he  came  to 
think  about  it,  he  realised  that  he  had  no  friends  in 
the  truest  acceptation  of  the  term.  In  his  youth  at 
Florence,  he  had  been  too  poor  to  have  friends  of 
his  own  class  and  his  rise  in  London  had  been  too 
rapid  to  allow  him  to  form  well-tried  friendships. 
Therefore,  Mair,  his  former  fellow-student,  would 
serve  as  well  as  anyone  he  knew  in  the  character  of 
friend.  No  doubt  his  air  was  still  too  solemn,  but 
he  had  certainly  enormously  improved  since  the  day 
he  found  him  on  the  bridge. 

Mair  came  early,  before  he  had  finished  dressing, 
and  Ames  inspected  him.  He  was  fairly  well  turned 
out,  and  Ames  complimented  him  on  his  appearance. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       197 

telling  him  that  if  he  would  only  brace  up  the  muscles 
of  his  face  he  would  be  one  of  the  best  of  best  men. 
Mair  said  he  would  endeavour  to  play  his  part  to 
Ames'  satisfaction,  but  was  sorry  that  he  hadn't  had 
more  time  for  resuscitation. 

But  Ames  took  a  small  phial  from  his  toilet  table 
and  handed  it  to  him. 

"  Smell  that." 

Mair  removed  the  stopper  and  inhaled  the  per- 
fume, pronouncing  it  to  be  of  extraordinary  strength 
and  fragrance. 

"  Does  it  not,"  asked  Ames,  "  go  right  up  to  the 
brain  and  create  a  sense  of  ease  and  luxury,  of  sweet- 
ness and  delight?  A  Florentine  perfumer,  a  con- 
summate artist,  made  it  from  a  hundred  flowers.  In- 
hale it,  it  will  comfort  you." 

Then,  after  Mair  had  taken  a  deep  draught  of  ~the 
perfume,  Ames  produced  a  little  red  decanter  from  a 
drawer  and  a  small  liqueur  glass. 

"  Here,"  he  said,  "  is  an  elixir  made  by  the  monks 
of  San  Lorenzo  half  a  century  ago.  Pour  out  a 
glass  and  drink  it,  then  tell  me  if  it  has  not  given  you 
new  life?  " 

Mair  did  as  he  was  bid. 

"  It's  wonderful,"  he  said.  "  It  sends  a  thrill  of 
bien  etre  through  the  body.  It  exhilarates,  exalts! 
Do  you  not  take  any?  " 

"  No,  I  have  no  need  for  it.  I'm  not  at  all  down- 
hearted, I  assure  you,  Mair.  Please  take  another 
glass." 

Mair  helped  himself  again  and  then  pronounced 
himself  quite  fit. 


198       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  In  that  case,"  Ames  said,  "  I  beg  that  you  will 
go  and  ask  downstairs  if  the  Smeatons  did  arrive 
last  night." 

Mair  left,  and  Ames  began  to  take  up  letters  from 
a  pile  which  lay  upon  the  table.  There  were  con- 
gratulations from  his  political  committee  announcing 
the  sending  two  days  previously  of  a  casket,  and 
some  letters  of  regret  at  inability  to  come  from  some 
of  his  more  recently  formed  acquaintances  to  whom  he 
had  sent  invitation  cards  for  form,  and  there  was  a 
note  from  Lady  Smeaton,  which  he  had  received  the 
day  before,  informing  him  that  she  and  her  husband 
would  undoubtedly  be  there,  as  they  were  going  to 
San  Remo  and  would  stay  in  Paris  for  the 
ceremony.  This  was  satisfactory.  The  Smeatons 
were  the  only  guests  for  whom  he  cared,  and  he 
knew  that  Ada,  in  spite  of  all  her  independence, 
would  be  glad  to  see  them  there  that  day.  Of  the 
yacht  party,  to  whom  he  had  sent  no  invitations, 
lest  they  might  have  come  and  disturbed  him  by  their 
presence,  only  Edith  had  written  him  a  line.  She, 
alone,  had  said  that  she  was  not  surprised  to  hear  of 
the  event  and  hoped  he  would  be  happy.  All  the  rest 
were  dumb.  Well,  it  was  better  so.  A  new  life 
was  beginning  for  him  now  and  he  could  not  see  that 
they  had  any  place  in  it.  He  thrust  aside  the  letters 
and  thought  over  the  programme  of  the  day.  First 
there  were  the  civil  marriages  at  the  two  consulates 
and  then  the  religious  ceremony  at  the  American 
church.  He  remembered  with  a  smile  that  the  sen- 
ator had  thought  he  might  desire  to  be  also  married 
at  the  English  church,  and  that  he  had  had  some 
difficulty  in  making  him  understand  that  all  churches 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       199 

were  alike  to  him  and  that  one  church  service  was 
enough  for  anyone  upon  his  wedding  day. 

Mair  returned  and  announced  that  the  Smeatons 
had  arrived  and  were  staying  on  the  floor  above.  He 
brought  a  telegram  which  had  just  come  in.  Ames 
opened  the  blue  envelope  and  read,  "  Poor  arriviste." 
There  was  no  signature,  but  the  missive  came  from 
London.  "  Arriviste! "  He  knew  the  French  term 
well.  It  was  one  for  which  there  was  no  equivalent 
in  English.  An  arriviste  was  an  individual  whose 
only  aim  was  to  obtain  the  good  things  of  this  life, 
regardless  of  all  sentiment  or  even  decency  in  the 
process  of  obtainment.  The  sender  of  that  telegram 
desired  to  diminish  him  in  his  own  eyes.  Arriviste! 
He  did  not  like  the  word,  and  "  poor,"  in  any  case, 
was  out  of  place.  Of  course  this  was  an  epithet  called 
forth  by  envy  or  disappointment.  Where  was  the 
man  or  woman  in  these  days  who  was  not  an  arriviste 
at  heart  ?  He  had  not  found  one  yet.  Only,  not  all 
succeeded  at  the  game. 

How  very  foolish  of  the  sender  to  waste  substance 
in  wiring  this  senseless  word !  Mair  was  an  arriviste. 
All  men  were ! 

"  Have  you  ever  been  married,  Mair  ?  "  he  inquired 
suddenly. 

"Married?  How  should  I?  Unless  it  had  been 
to  a  model.  For  years  I  met  no  other  women." 

"  Then  you  cannot  tell  me  how  one  ought  to  feel 
upon  the  wedding  day." 

"Joyous,  I  should  suppose." 

"  Quite  so." 

Mair  laughed. 

"  You  don't  seem  very  sure  about  it." 


200       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  am.  I'm  not  demonstrative,  you  know. 
You're  certain  that  the  Smeatons  have  arrived  ?  " 

"  The  manager  just  told  me  so  himself." 

"  Good,  good,"  Ames  thought.  He  scarcely  knew 
a  couple  he  disliked  more  thoroughly  than  the  pair 
and  yet  he  was  immensely  pleased  that  they  were 
coming  to  his  wedding.  No  one  that  he  knew  would 
be  more  useful  to  support  him  against  the  coalition 
which  would  doubtless  form  against  him  later  on,  and 
he  had  invited  them  as  a  manner  of  insurance  against 
it.  It  was  very  necessary  in  life  to  look  ahead.  He 
was  thinking  thus  when  a  waiter  entered  and  an- 
nounced Lord  Smeaton. 

Ames  finished  his  dressing  speedily  and  passed  into 
the  sitting-room,  where  he  welcomed  his  visitor  effu- 
sively. His  coming  was  a  real  mark  of  kindness  and 
one  that  he  would  not  readily  forget. 

"  Really,  I  congratulate  you,"  Smeaton  said.  "  An 
admirable  match,  and  I  hear  the  young  lady's  very 
charming,  very  charming." 

Ames  knew  very  well  that  Ada's  charm  was  the 
last  of  Smeaton's  thoughts.  If  he  had  spoken 
plainly,  he  would  have  said,  "  I  hear  the  lady's 
fabulously  rich,"  but  the  cant  of  disinterestedness, 
the  intensest  of  all  cants,  forbade  him. 

"  Your  marriage  has  created  a  great  stir  in  town," 
said  Smeaton.  "  It's  the  talk  of  the  clubs.  You're 
a  very  much  envied  man." 

"  They  should  not  envy,"  Ames  said.  "  It's  ex- 
tremely bad  for  the  digestion." 

Smeaton  did  not  stay  long  and  presently  Ames, 
accompanied  by  Mair,  set  out  on  foot  for  the  British 
consulate.  It  was  a  fine  October  morning  and  the 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       201 

air  in  the  Champs  Elysees  was  fresh  and  crisp.  A 
few  white  clouds,  high  up  in  the  blue  sky,  floated 
across  the  avenue,  which  was  quiet  and  majestic  at 
that  hour. 

"  Do  you  see,  Mair,"  said  Ames,  "  marriage  in  our 
present  social  system  is  an  unavoidable  necessity. 
The  bachelor  is  at  a  constant  disadvantage.  His' 
celibacy  is  an  unpardonable  offence  in  the  eyes  of 
marriageable  women  as  well  as  in  those  of  their 
mothers,  fathers,  brothers,  and  the  rest.  He  disap- 
points all  hopes  and  aspirations.  He  is  viewed  as  a 
rebel  against  a  social  law.  The  women  end  by  shun- 
ning him  and  do  their  best  to  ostracise  him  too.  When 
he  is  married,  Mair,  the  conditions  are  all  changed. 
He  has  chosen  a  woman  for  the  post  of  wife,  and  in 
monogamy,  as  he  can  do  no  more,  society  is  satisfied. 
That  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  I  am  walking  down 
with  you  this  morning  to  the  Rue  St.  Honore  to  tie 
myself  in  marriage.  It  is  a  bondage,  doubtless,  but 
a  bondage  which  is  in  reality  a  freedom." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Mair,  "  we  must  accept  things 
as  they  are  established,  if  we  would  lead  happy  lives." 

"  Exactly,  Mair ;  happiness  is  in  a  large  degree 
dependent  upon  that." 

They  reached  the  consulate  in  the  ancient  palace 
of  Pauline  Borghese,  and  were  shown  into  the  room 
where  the  registration  was  to  be  effected,  and  after 
waiting  a  few  moments  they  were  joined  by  the 
Wigans,  and  finally  by  Ada  and  her  aunt. 

Ada,  in  a  walking  dress,  was  in  a  laughing  mood 
and  seemed  to  take  the  whole  thing  lightly.  The 
remainder  of  the  party,  including  Ames,  were  serious. 

Presently  the  Consul,  a  man  of  military  bearing, 


202       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

entered,  and  the  formalities  of  a  civil  marriage  at  the 
consulate  were  speedily  gone  through. 

When  he  had  performed  his  office,  the  Consul, 
throwing  off  his  official  air,  congratulated  the  young 
pair,  and  Ada  said : 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Consul,  for  not  wasting  time. 
I  didn't  know  one  could  be  married  quite  so  soon." 

The  Consul  laughed  and  the  party  left. 

Two  motor  cars  awaited  them  in  the  street.  Ada 
and  her  aunt  and  friends  drove  off  in  the  first,  while 
Ames  and  Mair  followed  them  in  the  second. 

In  a  very  short  space  of  time  they  alighted  at  the 
consulate  of  the  United  States,  where  the  same  cere- 
mony was  performed. 

Ames  and  Ada  parted  at  the  door. 

"  Good-bye,  dear  Lohy,  until  this  afternoon,"  she 
said,  "  and,  Mr.  Mair,  just  see  that  he's  in  the 
church  ten  minutes  before  me." 

Ames  dismissed  his  motor,  preferring  to  return  to 
the  hotel  on  foot.  On  the  way  Mair  said : 

"  It's  my  turn  to  congratulate  you,  now.  Really 
you  are  an  enviable  man.  But  why  did  she  call  you 
Lohy?" 

Ames  laughed  out  heartily : 

"  Lohy  is  short  for  Lohengrin,  a  playful  fancy  of 
no  particular  importance,  a  term  I  might  say,  of 
endearment.  Women  have  these  little  ways,  and  I 
assure  you,  Mair,  it's  best  to  humour  them." 

"What  I  admire,"  said  Mair,  "is  your  excessive 
calm.  When  you  gave  your  signature  just  now,  you 
seemed  as  cool  as  the  traditional  cucumber." 

"  I  was.  I  am  always  calm.  Fortunately  I  can 
afford  to  be." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       203 

"  Ah !  that  is  it,"  said  Mair.  "  You  are  like  one 
of  those  great  liners  that  move  composedly  through 
the  roughest  sea." 

"Yes,  it's  perfectly  unjust  that  I  should  be  thus 
privileged,  but  it's  the  case,  and,  as  you  said,  one 
must  accept  things  as  they  are." 

When  they  reached  the  hotel,  Ames  lunched  with 
Mair  in  his  room,  and  at  two  o'clock  they  set  out  for 
the  church. 

As  they  stepped  out  of  the  brougham,  a  little  crowd 
of  Anglo-Saxons  greeted  Ames  with  a  cheer.  After 
raising  his  hat  to  them,  he  passed  into  the  fine  edifice 
erected  by  the  Americans  for  their  cult. 

The  building  was  already  full.  The  union  of  so 
much  wealth  had  attracted  a  large  audience.  Ames 
took  the  place  assigned  to  him  at  the  altar  of  the 
church  and  looked  around  admiring  the  architecture 
and  the  floral  decorations.  A  very  good  frame,  he 
thought,  for  the  ceremony  and  much  less  banal  than 
he  had  expected  it  would  be. 

Presently  Mair  whispered: 

"  Now  she's  coming,"  and  a  moment  afterwards 
Ames  saw  Ada  in  a  cloud  of  lace  and  satin  coming 
up  the  aisle,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  the  senator. 

Ought  he  not,  he  inquired  of  himself,  to  have 
experienced  emotion  at  this  juncture?  Perhaps,  but 
at  any  rate  he  did  not.  Was  it  that  the  bride  was 
commonplace?  He  did  not  know,  but  he  could  not 
help  realising  that  she  did  not  possess  the  qualities 
of  Constance  in  the  matter  of  refinement.  Well,  well, 
a  Constance  was  not  always  to  be  found  thus  gilded. 
As  he  was  thinking  this,  he  turned  round  slightly, 
and  perceived  Lord  Smeaton  in  the  front  pew  gazing 


204       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

at  him  with  an  expression  of  approval,  and  he  knew 
quite  well  that  his  approval  would  have  been  less 
marked  had  Constance  been  the  bride. 

After  a  service  to  which  Ames  paid  but  little  heed, 
the  minister  united  him  to  Ada  in  the  spiritual 
fashion,  and  pronounced  a  few  words  of  exhortation 
and  advice.  Then  to  the  strains  of  the  organ  Ames 
led  his  bride  away.  It  was  all  over.  He  had 
accepted  her  and  she  had  accepted  him  coram  publico. 
They  were  trebly  married.  Now  for  the  conjugal 
life. 

When  they  were  seated  in  the  brougham  and  were 
driving  off,  Ada  said  enthusiastically : 

"Lohy,  wasn't  it  just  fine?  " 

"  Superb,  Ada,"  he  replied,  wishing  she  would  be 
a  trifle  less  American. 

"  That's  the  best  minister,"  she  pursued,  "  that  I 
ever  saw  in  my  life." 

"Oh,  wonderful,"  Ames  said  resignedly. 

"And  are  you  going  to  be  a  good  husband?  "  she 
inquired.  "  You  know  I  take  this  marriage  busi- 
ness seriously." 

"  An  excellent  husband,  Ada,  I  anticipate.  I  also 
take  this  marriage  business,  as  you  call  it,  with  the 
utmost  gravity." 

As  the  drive  was  a  very  short  one  to  the  aunt's 
house  in  the  Avenue  Kleber  no  more  was  said,  and 
presently  Ames  and  his  bride  ascended  the  marble 
staircase  of  the  mansion  and  proceeded  to  the  fine 
Louis  XIV.  salon,  where  they  took  up  their  position 
in  the  centre  in  the  attitude  which  had  seemed  to 
Ames  so  pompous  at  Lucy's  wedding.  Ada,  how- 
ever, appeared  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  thing, 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       205 

and  gave  a  hearty  handshake  to  her  friends  as  they 
came  up  to  congratulate. 

Lady  Smeaton  was  affectionate,  telling  her  how 
much  she  was  looking  forward  to  seeing  her  in  Lon- 
don, and  promising  her  a  wonderful  season  in  the 
coming  year.  Lord  Smeaton  was  at  pains  to  say 
nice  things  to  her,  and  she  afterwards  declared  him 
to  be  charming.  The  aunt  made  use  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  get  herself  invited  to  the  Smeatons*  when 
she  was  next  in  London. 

Ames,  with  an  amused  smile,  performed  his  part  as 
well  as  he  was  able,  studying  the  men  and  women  as 
they  shook  his  hand  and  detecting,  on  the  counte- 
nances of  many,  that  reverence  for  wealth  which  he 
had  so  often  seen  of  late.  But  there  was  another 
expression  which  he  knew  as  well,  that  which  he  had 
seen  so  often  in  his  pauper  days,  the  expression  of 
contempt  for  poverty.  He  did  not  think  that  a  man 
who  had  experienced  such  disdain  could  ever  con- 
template society  through  any  spectacles  save  those 
of  irony. 

When  the  reception  was  over  and  only  the  intimate 
friends  remained,  the  senator  came  up  to  Ames. 

"  I've  only  one  regret,  Mr.  Ames,"  he  said,  "  and 
that  is  that  you're  not  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  because  we're  going  to  lose  our  little  Ada 
now." 

The  poor  man  looked  quite  sorrowful  and  Ames 
did  not  believe  that  he  was  grieving  for  the.  dollars 
which  were  going  out  to  England,  and  he  conceived 
for  Wigan  the  feeling  of  esteem  which  was  the  first 
he  had  experienced  for  anyone  that  day. 

"  Mr.  Wigan,"  he  said  sincerely,  "  we  shall  often 


206       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES 

meet  again.  The  Atlantic  becomes  narrower  each 
year." 

This  senator  had  sterling  qualities,  and  when  he 
came  to  London  he  would  receive  him  well. 

Then  the  party  dined  together  early  and,  after 
much  leave-taking  and  good  wishes,  Ames  and  Ada 
left  to  take  the  night  express  for  Biarritz. 

It  was  all  definitely  over  now.  Ames  felt  himself 
in  partnership  and  he  had  a  sense  on  the  one  hand  of 
security,  on  the  other  of  diminished  personality.  He 
wasn't  now  alone  in  life,  but  yet,  it  might  be  possible, 
he  was  too  much  accompanied.  It  was  now  to  be 
seen  how  this  conjugal  arrangement  was  to  work. 

He  passed  his  arm  through  hers  and  they  both 
looked  out  of  the  carriage  window  at  the  traffic  in 
the  streets. 

Then  he  whispered  some  endearing  phrases  in  her 
ear  and  in  gratitude  she  pressed  his  hand. 

"  Oh,  Lohy,  what  a  splendid  time  we  two  will 
have ! " 

This  wasn't  quite  poetic,  Ames  reflected,  but  no 
matter,  and  it  might  be  partly  true.  There  was 
after  all  but  one  such  day  as  this  in  a  man's  whole 
life  and  he  ought  to  make  the  best  of  it. 

In  her  neat  brown  travelling  dress  she  looked 
almost  pretty,  and  really,  after  all,  her  figure  was 
extremely  good.  She  satisfied,  to  some  extent,  those 
aspirations  which  are  common  to  all  men.  It  was 
curious,  he  thought,  how  little-girlish  she  had  sud- 
denly become  as  she  leaned  against  him  in  the 
brougham,  and  it  was  difficult  to  realise  that  only  a 
short  time  since  she  was  a  strong-willed,  independent 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      207 

person,  moving  about  the  world,  in  a  sense,  alone. 
Would  she  return,  a  little  later,  to  her  former  state? 
He  thought  it  probable.  With  women  one  never 
could  tell. 

They  reached  the  station  and  presently  they  took 
their  place  in  the  wagon-lit. 


XI 

A  WEEK  afterwards,  Ames  and  his  wife  were  sitting 
in  a  sheltered  nook  on  the  terrace  of  the  Hotel  Conti- 
nental. It  was  a  fine  October  afternoon.  The  sky 
was  almost  cloudless  and  the  huge  waves  of  the  Gulf 
of  Gascony  were  breaking  proudly  on  the  shore. 
A  saline  breeze  was  blowing  from  the  sea.  Ada  was 
gazing,  dreamily,  Ames  thought,  at  the  horizon, 
along  which  a  vessel  in  full  sail  was  moving  swiftly. 
Perhaps,  he  thought,  she  was  growing  idealistic  and 
he  studied  her,  wondering  what  thoughts  were  pass- 
ing in  her  mind.  She  hadn't  spoilt  him  in  the  matter 
of  idealism,  certainly.  She  had  been  natural,  but 
unemotional,  fatalistic  and  withal  rather  common- 
place. Perhaps  she  was  about  to  change. 

She  undeceived  him  quickly,  saying: 

"  I  don't  like  that  red-haired  chauffeur  that  we 
had  to-day." 

Ames  prized  the  man  for  his  excessive  prudence, 
and  he  answered : 

"  He  may  be  slow,  Ada,  but  he's  sure,  and  we  do 
not  want  to  be  annihilated,  do  we,  quite  so  soon  ?  " 

"That's  true,"  she  said  reflectively.  "To- 
morrow, Lohy,  we  will  get  horses  and  we'll  ride." 

Ames  readily  agreed  to  this  and  he  promised  he 
would  make  inquiries  as  to  the  possibility  of  finding 
mounts. 

He  said  after  a  short  pause: 

"You're  looking  rather  serious,  Ada.     Why?" 

208 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      209 

"  Oh,  nothing,"  she  replied.  "  Marriage  makes 
one  rather  quiet.  Don't  you  think  so,  Lohy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do.  One  has  a  sense  of  human  destiny. 
One  feels  oneself  identified  with  Nature.  There  is 
a  strong  realisation  of  the  chain  of  life;  a  greater 
comprehension  of  men  and  things.  See  those  great 
white  waves  breaking  over  yonder  on  the  beach.  The 
noise  they  make  is  grateful  to  our  ears,  because  we 
are  in  harmony  with  Nature's  scheme.  A  week  ago, 
no  doubt,  we  should  have  been  distressed." 

"  Say,  Lohy,"  Ada  said,  "  that  mackerel  maitre 
d'hbtel  we  had  for  breakfast  has  given  me  a  mighty 
indigestion." 

Ames,  brought  down  to  earth  at  once,  remarked: 

"  Ah,  yes,  we  are  all  so  human !  " 

"If  that's  all  you've  got  to  say,  Lohy,  when  I 
give  you  such  a  piece  of  news,  it  isn't  much." 

Ames  rose. 

«  I'll  fetch  the  doctor." 

"  Sit  down,  you  silly  Lohy.     It's  all  over  now." 

"  Marvellous  creature ! "  Ames  reflected.  "  The 
philosophising  was  too  much  for  her  and  she  found 
a  speedy  way  to  stop  it." 

As  he  relapsed  into  silence,  completely  at  a  loss 
for  anything  to  say,  she  turned  and  looked  at  him. 

"  You're  very  clever,  Lohy,  much  cleverer  than  I. 
You  see,  when  I  was  a  girl,  I  hated  books.  I  liked 
to  learn  all  about  the  world  without  them.  Now 
perhaps  you  think  me  stupid,  but  if  you  do  you're 
wrong.  I  can  think  and  reason  straight  enough, 
only  I'm  not  elaborate,  you  understand,  that's  all. 
And  besides,  in  our  partnership,  I  want  to  leave  the 
cleverness  to  you  and  I'll  admire  you  and  praise  you 


210       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

for  it.  You're  my  hero.  I  want  you  to  be  Prime 
Minister  at  least." 

"For  the  country's  benefit?"  Ames  asked,  "or 
for  your  private  satisfaction  ?  " 

"  For  my  own  contentment." 

It  was  curious,  Ames  thought,  how  women  loved 
to  strut  in  borrowed  plumes.  It  would  be  nice  to  be 
the  wife  of  the  Prime  Minister,  and  no  doubt  she 
thought  her  father's  millions  ought  to  purchase  the 
position. 

"  Suppose  now,  Ada,  I  were  to  give  up  politics. 
What  would  you  say  to  that?  " 

"I  would  say  it  was  very,  very  foolish  of  you. 
Why,  some  day,  I  want  you  to  be  made  a  lord." 

"  Now,  that  surprises  me,"  said  Ames.  "  You  said 
at  Venice  that  you  did  not  care  for  lords,  that  you 
were  thoroughly  republican." 

"  That's  so,  as  long  as  one  lives  in  the  States ;  but 
we're  going  to  dwell  in  an  aristocratic  land,  where 
we,  as  commoners,  will  have  to  take  back  places.  I 
sha'n't  quite  love  being  sat  upon  by  all  those  titled 
women." 

At  that  moment  she  appeared  to  Ames  as  a  future 
menace  to  his  will.  If  she  wanted  to  push  him  on  a 
road  he  did  not  wish  to  take  she  would  have  to  learn 
to  bridle  that  desire. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Ames,  "  I'll  make  a  note  of 
that." 

A  waiter  brought  the  mail.  Ada  eagerly  seized 
the  journals  and  opened  them  to  see  if  they  con- 
tained a  notice  of  the  wedding.  To  her  delight,  she 
found  that  most  of  the  Paris  correspondents  of  the 
London  papers  had  devoted  a  little  space  to  it. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      211 

"  They  say  how  I  was  dressed,"  she  said.  "  They 
don't  say  how  I  looked.  I  suppose  they  thought  me 
plain." 

"  They  ought  to  have  said,"  Ames  ventured,  "  that 
you  were  looking  at  your  best." 

"  How  could  they,"  she  replied,  "  since  they  never 
set  eyes  on  me  before?  " 

"  The  Press  is  omniscient,"  he  said,  with  a  stifled 
sigh. 

Yes,  there  was  no  doubt  about  it  now ;  much  of  her 
independence  had  departed.  Soon  she  would  be  all 
on  show.  She  was  preparing  to  climb,  he  saw  that 
plainly,  and  to  climb  in  a  way  that  he  probably 
wouldn't  like.  Well,  well,  he  would  have  to  see  to  it. 

They  rose  presently  and  descended  to  the  beach, 
stopping  to  witness  the  landing  of  some  wreckage. 
Then,  as  Ada  was  not  interested  in  seeing  the  spars 
hauled  in,  they  moved  along  towards  the  point,  not 
finding  much  to  say.  Suddenly  Ames  perceived  an 
Englishman  walking  in  the  contrary  direction,  whom 
he  recognised  as  Burleigh.  Raising  his  hat  slightly 
and  making  a  formal  bow,  the  leader  passed  them 
without  stopping. 

"Who  was  that?"  asked  Ada. 

And  Ames  replied : 

"  The  Opposition  leader." 

"  Well,  he  just  looked  freezing,"  she  remarked. 

Ames  assented  with  a  nod.  He  felt  certain  that 
the  rigidity  of  Burleigh  was  the  first  sign  of  the 
enmity  of  Constance.  He  would  have  to  maintain 
himself  against  her  influence.  No  matter,  the 
stronger  the  opposing  forces  which  would  be  arrayed 
against  him,  the  greater  would  be  his  fighting  zeal. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES 

"  What  you've  got  to  do,  Lohy,"  Ada  said,  "  is  to 
become  popular." 

This  continued  "  edging  on  "  annoyed  him.  Who 
could  have  suspected  that  she  would  develop  such 
proclivities? 

"Popular?"  he  repeated.  "  Popularity  connotes 
unpopularity.  To  be  popular  with  one  category  of 
men  is  to  be  unpopular  with  another,'  and  therefore 
it  is  better,  when  one  talks  of  being  popular,  to  dis- 
tinctly state  with  whom." 

"  Well,  I  mean  with  the"  people  in  the  front,  of 
course." 

"  But  those  in  the  front  to-day  may  be  in  the  rear 
to-morrow." 

"  Not  quite  so  soon  as  that." 

"  When  a  socialist  becomes  a  member  of  a  Cabinet 
he  changes  sides,  whatever  he  may  say,  and  the 
transition,  Ada,  is  simply  instantaneous." 

"  Oh,  well,  you  mustn't  puzzle  me.  I  admitted 
you  were  cleverer  than  I  am." 

It  was  curious,  Ames  thought,  that  women  must 
express  opinions  whether  they  understood  the  ques- 
tion in  dispute  or  not.  Undeveloped  creatures,  only 
a  few  were  guided  by  anything  but  instinct. 

A  few  days  after  this,  they  drove  in  a  horse  landau 
to  St.  Jean  de  Luz.  Ames,  feeling  a  return  of  the 
artistic  spirit,  wanted  to  make  a  sketch  in  the  Basque 
country,  and  accordingly  he  selected  a  landscape 
which  appeared  to  him  of  excessive  beauty.  Alight- 
ing from  the  carriage,  he  chose  a  spot  beneath  a  tree 
and  began  to  sketch.  Ada  alighted,  also,  and  at 
first  endeavoured  to  take  an  interest  in  her  hus- 
band's task.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before  she 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      213 

yawned.  "  How  long,  Lohy,  do  you  think  it  will 
take  you  to  fix  that  up  ?  " 

"  About  an  hour,  I  should  say,"  he  answered. 

Her  expression  of  dismay,  as  she  let  herself  fall 
upon  the  ground  beside  him,  caused  him  to  tell  her 
that  if  she  had  not  patience  to  remain  she  had  better 
go  on  in  the  carriage  and  take  him  up  on  her  return. 
To  this  she  assented  readily,  and  in  another  moment 
she  was  out  of  sight. 

This,  Ames  thought,  was  marriage,  an  association 
in  which,  except  at  certain  times,  two  beings  bored 
each  other.  That,  at  all  events,  was  what  must 
happen  when  their  tastes  were  different.  He  went 
on  sketching,  anxious  to  do  justice  to  the  scene  before 
him  and  forgetful  of  the  time.  When  he  had  finished, 
the  sun  was  already  low ;  he  looked  at  his  watch  and 
found  that  nearly  two  hours  had  elapsed  since  Ada 
left  him.  Why  was  she  not  there?  Had  anything 
befallen  her?  Really,  he  hoped  not.  Because,  al- 
though she  was  a  Philistine,  she  was  his  wife,  and  in 
her  own  way  was  attached  to  him,  he  thought.  He 
looked  about  him.  The  place  was  entirely  deserted. 
He  deliberated  with  himself  as  to  what  course  he 
should  pursue,  and  being  unable  to  arrive  at  a  deci- 
sion, he  sat  by  the  roadside,  reflecting  somewhat  sadly 
on  the  accidents  of  life.  At  length  he  heard  the  roar 
of  an  approaching  motor,  and  presently  he  saw  a 
huge  vehicle  coming  up  the  road.  To  his  surprise, 
Ada  occupied  the  seat  beside  the  driver,  and  there 
was  another  lady  in  the  rear. 

"Am  I  a  little  late?"  she  asked.  "You  see,  I 
met  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer  of  New  York,  who  are  stay- 
ing at  Biarritz,  and  who  kindly  offered  me  a  ride, 


214       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

so  I  sent  away  that  two-horsed  van  that  brought  us, 
and  we've  been  for  a  delightful  spin." 

Then  she  introduced  Ames  to  the  Palmers,  who 
asked  him  to  return  with  them.  He  took  the  vacant 
seat,  and  they  started  off  at  a  high  speed.  To  Ames, 
this  conduct  on  Ada's  part  seemed  inconsciente,  as 
the  French  denote  it.  She  must  have  allowed  the 
Palmers  to  take  her  for  quite  a  long  drive,  although 
she  knew  that  she  had  promised  to  return  to  him  in 
an  hour's  time.  And  although  while  sitting  at  the 
side  of  Mrs.  Palmer,  whose  husband  he  considered 
was  imperilling  their  lives  by  the  rate  at  which  he 
drove,  he  appeared  contented,  he  was  in  reality  dis- 
pleased, and  he  began  to  think  that  his  wife  pre- 
sented all  the  aspects  of  a  problem  which  would  be 
difficult  to  solve.  To  have  a  wife  of  this  kind  was, 
no  doubt,  the  price  he  had  to  pay  for  marrying  with- 
out affinity. 

They  stayed  three  weeks  at  Biarritz,  and  when  the 
day  of  departure  came  Ames  was  by  no  means  sorry. 
He  wanted  to  get  back  to  his  own  home  and  his  own 
affairs,  especially  the  latter,  which  were  suffering 
from  his  prolonged  absence.  They  stayed  two  nights 
in  Paris  at  the  Avenue  Kleber  and  then  set  out  for 
England.  It  was  a  grey  November  afternoon  when 
they  stepped  on  shore  at  Dover,  and  Ada,  who  had 
only  been  to  England  in  the  summer  time,  declared 
it  damp  and  dull,  and  Ames  thought  of  his  own  im- 
pressions when  he  had  landed  less  than  a  year  be- 
fore. 

"  Courage,  Ada,"  he  remarked,  as  they  stepped 
into  the  reserved  compartment.  "  You'll  want  some 
later  on." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       215 

"  As  long  as  I  am  with  you,"  she  said,  with  a  ten- 
der look,  "  I  shall  be  all  right." 

On  the  journey  she  was  somewhat  restless,  walking 
from  one  end  of  the  carriage  to  the  other,  stopping 
occasionally  before  the  window  to  look  at  the  fields 
and  meadows. 

"  It's  a  nice  house  that  we're  going  to,  I  think 
you  said,"  she  inquired  of  her  husband. 

"  Decidedly.     But  of  course  it's  not  a  palace." 

"  But  we  might  afford  one,  Lohy." 

"  We  might  afford  a  lot  of  things  which  it  wouldn't 
be  wise  to  buy." 

"  Why  not,  if  they  are  nice?  " 

"  You  see,"  said  Ames,  "  wealth  is  power,  and  if 
we  part  with  our  wealth  unnecessarily  we  shall  be- 
come weak,  and  others  will  gain  a  hold  upon  us  which 
they  do  not  now  possess." 

"  Yes,  but  what's  the  good  of  power  if  it's  bottled 
up?  There's  a  lot  of  power  comes  from  the  posses- 
sion of  a  palace." 

Ames  said: 

"  I  know  of  only  four  palaces  in  London,  and  I'm 
afraid  they're  not  to  let." 

She  kissed  him. 

"  Well,  I'm  only  joking." 

The  approach  to  London  was  lugubrious.  Sud- 
denly the  train  dashed  into  a  bank  of  fog,  and  the 
atmosphere  grew  denser  as  they  advanced.  Ada  was 
silent  for  some  moments.  Then  she  asked: 

"  How  do  you  breathe  in  this  metropolis  ?  " 

"  I  don't  exactly  know,  Ada.  I  am  about  as  new 
to  this  as  you  are  yourself." 

They  reached  the  Charing  Cross  bridge,  and  Ames 


216      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

vainly  attempted  to  point  out  to  her  where  the 
Houses  of  Parliament  lay. 

She  asked: 

"  And  can  they  really  speak  in  such  a  fog?  " 

Ames  said: 

"  They  pump  it  out." 

They  reached  the  station  after  a  long  wait  outside. 
Sims  was  there  to  meet  them,  and  Ames  introduced 
him  to  his  bride,  who,  however,  was  too  much  occu- 
pied in  coughing  to  give  much  heed  to  him.  Ames 
exchanged  a  few  words  with  Sims  in  a  low  tone,  and 
then  led  Ada  to  the  motor  brougham  which  was 
waiting. 

In  a  few  moments  they  were  at  Carlton  Terrace, 
and  at  home. 

All  the  servants  lined  the  hall  to  welcome  their 
mistress,  and  Giacomo  made  a  low  and  stately  bow. 
The  clief,  in  the  name  of  the  rest,  expressed  good 
wishes,  and  Ada  thanked  them  for  their  welcome. 

Her  first  act  was  to  enter  the  dining-room,  walk 
to  the  window  and  look  out  into  the  street,  in  which 
the  lamps  were  but  dimly  visible,  and  as  Ames  joined 
her  she  remarked : 

"  I  reckon  we'll  want  a  country  house." 

"  And  to  think,"  said  Ames,  "  that  there  are  imbe- 
ciles who  love  this  atmosphere !  " 

Then  Ames  took  her  to  her  room,  which  he  had 
ordered  to  be  redecorated  in  the  colours  she  liked 
best,  and  she  expressed  herself  as  perfectly  delighted 
with  it. 

"  But  where  is  yours  ?  "  she  asked,  and  he  replied : 
"  Oh !  mine  is  on  the  next  floor.  This  is  the  only 
decent  room  on  this." 


THE  METHODS  OE  MR.  AMES 

"  They  build  their  houses  in  a  funny  way  in  Eng- 
land," she  remarked. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  with  conviction.  *4  That's 
what  I  always  thought." 

At  dinner  that  evening  they  were  alone.  Ada  was 
somewhat  quiet,  and  appeared  scarcely  at  her  ease  in 
the  new  surroundings. 

Ames  said: 

"  I  believe,  Ada,  you  are  experiencing  the  mental 
douche  of  London,  the  sobering  influence  which  new- 
comers feel." 

"  Is  that  it,  Lohy?  Thank  you  for  telling  me.  I 
didn't  know." 

There  was  a  suspicion  of  sarcasm  in  her  tone  which 
did  not  escape  his  notice,  and  he  fancied  that  he 
knew  the  cause. 

At  dessert  she  said: 

"  You  had  a  surprise  in  store  for  me,  what  is  it?  " 

"Finish  your  coffee,  Ada,  and  come  and  see." 

They  rose  and  passed  into  the  library,  where  she 
looked  at  the  mezzotints  and  glanced  at  the  books. 
He  said: 

"  I  am  going  now  to  conduct  you  to  the  East." 

Then  he  opened  the  bookcase  door  and  they  en- 
tered the  Eastern  room. 

She  exclaimed  when  she  saw  the  beautiful  pavilion, 
lighted  with  yellow  and  red  lamps  suspended  from  the 
dome: 

"  Now,  I  do  call  this  fine." 

As  they  descended  the  flight  of  stairs,  a  strain 
of  Oriental  music  greeted  them,  although  there  were 
no  musicians  to  be  seen.  He  led  her  to  a  recess, 
from  whence  the  whole  room  was  visible,  and  placed 


218      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

cushions  for  her  on  the  soft  divan.  Then  they  lis- 
tened to  the  melody  full  of  cadences  and  rhythm, 
which  seemed  to  come  from  a  curtained  niche  on 
the  opposite  side. 

Ada  was  silently  waiting  for  an  explanation,  and 
presently  from  behind  a  curtain  there  appeared  two 
men  in  gabardines  and  turbans,  both  playing  the 
Egyptian  oude.  They  were  followed  by  two  young 
and  handsome  Eastern  women,  gorgeously  attired  in 
silks  and  sequins,  who,  to  the  sound  of  the  music, 
began  an  Oriental  dance.  Ames,  through  the  agency 
of  Sims,  had  ordered  them  from  the  Eldorado,  where 
they  were  performing  with  a  troupe. 

"  Lohy,"  she  inquired,  "  are  you  a  magician  ?  " 

He  laughed. 

"  No,  this  is  my  private  studio,  and  these  are 
dancers  from  the  music  hall  hard  by." 

They  watched  the  slow  and  rhythmic  movements 
of  the  dancers  for  some  time,  and  when  they  had  fin- 
ished, Ames  led  them  up  the  stairs  and  placed  them 
in  the  hands  of  Giacomo.  There  was  no  more  secrecy 
now,  since  he  was  married  and,  for  the  moment,  fairly 
well  contented  with  the  state.  He  had  initiated  Sims 
by  correspondence.  When  he  returned  to  Ada  he 
found  her  busily  engaged  in  examining  the  place. 
She  had  just  discovered  the  unfinished  portrait  of 
Constance,  although  it  was  hidden  away  in  a  recess. 
It  was  foolish  of  him  to  have  left  it  there,  but  he 
had  not  foreseen  that  she  would  be  so  inquisitive. 

She  said: 

"  Why,  that's  the  lady  who  was  with  you  on  the 
Exe  when  you  arrived  at  Venice.  Do  you  mean  to 
say,  Lohy,  that  you  painted  her  down  here?" 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       219 

"  I  began  to  paint  her,  but  I  didn't  finish  it,  and 
now  I  never  shall." 

"  No,  I  wouldn't  let  you,  not  for  worlds.  I  want 
you  to  paint  me.  But  not  down  here.  This  place 
is  too  mysterious.  I  don't  know  what  you  used  it 
for." 

"  For  the  best  of  purposes,  I  can  assure  you,  Ada. 
But  never  mind,  I'll  paint  you  on  the  roof.  I  have 
another  studio  up  there." 


AMES  now  commenced  to  lead  a  somewhat  strenuous 
existence.  The  preparation  of  his  journal  and  that 
of  the  next  political  campaign  occupied  him  fully. 
He  engaged  an  editor,  a  man  whom  he  judged  not 
only  intellectually,  but  also  physically  fitted  for  the 
post,  a  man  who  had  a  wife  and  family  to  keep  and 
who  wouldn't  be  too  much  troubled  by  his  convic- 
tions, for  he  regarded  with  some  amusement  those 
journalists  who  would  rather  die  than  sacrifice  a 
particle  of  political  allegiance. 

"  I  want,"  he  told  him,  "  the  paper  to  be  earnest, 
very  earnest;  but  I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  in  any  way 
dogmatic.  You,  Mr.  Edwards,  must  know  well  that 
truth  can  never  dwell  exclusively  with  one  political 
regime.  We  are  formed,  however,  to  seek  truth,  and 
therefore  we  must  support  that  side  or  party  which 
at  a  given  time  appears  to  have  the  greatest  share 
of  it.  Of  course  when  I  speak  of  truth,  I  mean  an 
approximation." 

Edwards  said: 

"  But  I'm  afraid,  if  we  vary  in  our  politics,  we 
shall  fall  between  two  stools.  The  paper  will  not 
pay." 

"Whether  the  paper  pays  or  not,"  said  Ames, 
"  is  to  me  a  matter  of  secondary  importance.  Never- 
theless, I  think  it  will,  for  we  must  take  care  that  its 
brilliancy  will  be  great  enough  to  cause  it  to  be 
largely  read.  I  shall  be  responsible  for  the  political 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      221 

direction.  It's  possible  that  some  may  think  the  title 
should  have  been  The  Weathercock,  but  let  them 
think.  Sooner  or  later,  they  will  come  to  understand 
our  views.  I  rely  upon  our  foreign  news  to  make  us 
indispensable  to  those  who  wish  to  be  well  informed 
of  what  is  going  on  outside  of  the  British  Isles." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Edwards,  "  if  we  can  afford  to 
be  independent  of  the  parties,  we  can  go  ahead,  but 
it  will  be  the  first  thing  of  the  kind  that  has  been 
seen." 

"  Which  means  that  you  consider  it  a  rich  man's 
folly.  Well,  I  think  you  will  be  mistaken.  By  the 
way,  have  you  sampled  Mair,  whom  I  sent  to  you  the 
other  day  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  I  think  he  will  suit." 

And  so  it  was  decided.  Ames  gave  to  Edwards  the 
direction  of  the  journal,  subject  to  his  right  of  over- 
rule, and  it  was  expressly  understood  that  Edwards 
accepted  the  editorship  on  this  condition.  Ames  de- 
rived much  satisfaction  from  the  thought  that  his 
will  would  be  supreme. 

Socially,  also,  there  was  much  to  do.  'Although 
it  was  now  winter,  invitations  poured  in  upon  the 
newly  married  pair,  and  a  wise  selection  of  the  best 
houses  had  to  be  effected.  All  the  people  whom 
Ames  had  met  took  care  to  call  on  Ada,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Constance,  Lucy,  and  Sybil,  who  main- 
tained a  rigid  silence.  In  spite  of  the  unceremonious 
way  in  which  they  had  been  treated  on  the  yacht,  all 
the  other  guests,  excepting  Moore,  came  to  Carlton 
Terrace.  Edith  had  become  engaged  to  the  doctor 
and  was  already  busily  employed  in  preparing  a 
London  practice  for  him.  There  was  even  a  rumour 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

that  Sybil  was  to  marry  the  poet  of  means,  although 
this  was  unconfirmed.  Ames  smiled  paternally  when 
he  heard  this  news.  Really  it  was  to  him  that  this 
mating  was  to  be  attributed.  It  was  a  pity  if  Lucy 
was  to  be  lost  in  matrimony  because,  aesthetically, 
she  was  hard  to  match,  and  he  realised  that  he  had 
still  a  lurking  fondness  for  her  which  might  easily 
increase. 

Ada  was  soon  popular.  Her  unconventionally 
and  lack  of  prejudice  were  allowed  to  pass,  because 
of  her  superior  wealth,  and  Lady  Smeaton  took  her 
socially  beneath  her  wing. 

Nevertheless,  Ada  could  not  grow  accustomed  to 
the  winter  atmosphere  and  gloom  of  London,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  she  began  to  seek  a  country 
house  in  one  of  the  adjacent  counties.  This  was 
not,  she  discovered,  to  be  found  too  easily,  especially 
as  she  demanded  that  it  should  have  the  name  and 
the  outward  aspect  of  a  castle  with,  if  possible,  a 
moat.  Ames,  however,  objected  to  the  moat,  which 
he  said  was  an  anachronism  and  a  nuisance  in  the 
present  day,  and  they  were  contemplating  building  a 
castle  in  Sussex  when  the  bankruptcy  of  a  ruined 
earl  enabled  them  to  buy  a  seat  in  Kent  with  extensive 
lands.  This  possessed  the  advantage  of  not  being 
too  far  from  London.  The  motor,  Ada  said,  would 
be  the  hyphen  which  would  connect  Kingslake  Castle 
with  Carlton  Terrace.  The  furnishing,  which  was 
to  be  magnificent,  was  to  be  finished  before  the  end 
of  the  first  month  of  the  year. 

The  day  before  the  opening  of  Parliament  in  Janu- 
ary the  first  number  of  Ames'  journal  was  issued  from 
its  palatial  offices  in  Aldwich  to  a  somewhat  expect- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       223 

ant  world.  The  night  before,  Ames  had  given  a  ban- 
quet to  the  staff,  to  the  poor  men  who  were  going  to 
sit  up  all  night,  night  after  night,  to  serve  his  ends, 
and  he  made  them  a  speech  in  which  he  exhorted  them 
to  diligence  in  the  cause  of  independence  and  of 
truth.  Radicals  they  were,  no  doubt,  in  the  sense  that 
they  meant  to  reach  the  root  of  things,  but  they 
were  always  to  remember  that  their  Radicalism  was 
contingent  upon  the  right  direction  of  the  party 
which  upheld  that  doctrine,  the  right  direction  as 
interpreted  in  the  editorial  room.  The  paper  was 
to  be  brilliant  and  original,  and  it  was  not  to  bow 
the  knee  too  often  to  the  idols  of  the  day.  Neverthe- 
less, they  were  to  remember  that  the  public,  taken 
as  a  whole,  was  dense  and  sheeplike  and  that  they 
must  not  perplex  or  startle  it  too  much.  If  any  of 
them  were  at  any  time  in  doubt  as  to  the  policy  to 
be  pursued,  Mr.  Edwards  and  himself  would  be  ever 
ready  to  explain.  In  politics,  the  voting  list  would 
clearly  indicate  to  them  his  views  from  day  to  day. 
At  the  outset  it  was  essential  to  avoid  direct  expres- 
sion of  the  paper's  policy. 

From  this  conclave,  the  Press  was  rigorously  ex- 
cluded. It  was  the  gathering,  as  Ames  himself 
declared,  of  a  band  of  workers  who  would  leave  their 
mark  in  the  annals  of  their  time.  Although  they 
were  all  paid  higher  salaries  than  was  the  rule,  Ames 
pitied  them  in  secret.  There  would  be  some,  no  doubt, 
who  would  use  the  paper  as  the  stepping  stone,  but 
the  majority  were  hopelessly  condemned  to  nerve- 
wearing  and  brain-wrecking  toil  for  the  remainder  of 
their  lives,  whether  they  stayed  with  him  or  not. 

Mair  was  at  the  banquet  in  the  best  of  spirits. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

He  was  thinking  of  taking  a  studio  in  Chelsea,  and 
was  delighted  that  he  had  returned  to  England, 
where  his  work  would  be  more  appreciated  than 
abroad.  But  Ames  said  to  him : 

"  My  friend,  take  my  advice.  Criticise  but  don't 
produce." 

The  first  number,  which  was  a  numerical  success, 
was  written  from  a  lofty  standpoint;  its  articles 
denoted  clearly  the  intention  of  the  founder  to  exam- 
ine and  to  probe  in  the  public  interest.  It  appeared 
as  a  menace  to  the  upholders  of  inconsistencies  and 
shams.  It  was  imbued  with  a  scientific  spirit. 

The  congratulations  which  Ames  received  upon 
it  were  mostly  from  men  of  independent  minds,  for 
the  servants  of  custom  and  men  of  reverential  ten- 
dencies were  inclined  to  look  at  it  askance.  It  was 
something  that  they  dared  not  imitate,  something 
that  they  did  not  like  to  see. 

When  Ames  went  to  the  House  in  the  evening,  one 
of  the  first  men  he  met  was  Burleigh,  who  passed  him 
with  the  merest  nod.  And  even  those  of  the  party  to 
which  he  was  supposed  to  belong,  whose  acquaintance 
he  had  made,  kept  somewhat  aloof  from  him  as 
though  suspicious.  The  demagogues,  themselves, 
were  cautious  and  reserved  in  speaking  with  him,  al- 
though it  was  evident  that  they  were  not  without 
some  distant  hopes  of  his  espousal  of  their  cause. 
All,  in  fact,  to  whatever  party  they  belonged,  ap- 
peared afraid  to  be  either  his  friends  or  enemies,  and 
owing  to  a  peculiar  mental  twist  this  attitude  of 
theirs  caused  him  satisfaction.  Sooner  or  later,  he 
believed,  they  would  have  to  recognise  him  as  the 
power  that  he  was. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       225 

Through  an  Irishman,  with  whom  he  had  formed 
a  kind  of  friendship  in  the  previous  session,  he  learnt 
that  all  sorts  of  rumours  were  afloat  as  to  his  inten- 
tions and  that  the  Tories,  for  some  unknown  reason, 
were  especially  opposed  to  him.  They  were  afraid, 
Ames  thought,  that  he  was  about  to  use  the  wealth 
which  all  knew  him  to  possess  against  the  moneyed 
class.  They  might  have  waited  a  little  longer,  he 
considered,  before  forming  that  conclusion. 

It  was  plain  to  Ames  that  although  profit  on  the 
journalistic  undertaking  was  not  what  he  sought, 
it  was,  nevertheless,  essential  that  his  organ  should 
be  widely  read  if  it  was  to  be  influential.  Conse- 
quently, after  the  first  few  numbers,  he  directed  that 
the  paper  should  be  as  little  political  as  possible  in 
its  leading  articles,  for  a  while,  at  least,  until  he  had 
had  time  to  take  his  bearings.  This  plan  succeeded 
fairly  well  and  gradually  he  increased  the  number  of 
his  acquaintances  on  the  side  which  he  was  understood 
to  favour.  He  had  observed  the  extraordinary  value 
of  dinner  invitations  in  procuring  friends,  and  conse- 
quently he  inaugurated  fortnightly  dinners,  which, 
on  account  of  his  chefs  genius,  were  soon  held  to  be 
the  best  in  London.  At  these  dinners,  Ada  did  her 
best  to  second  him  in  the  task  of  entertaining,  but  it 
was  evident  to  Ames  that  secretly  she  thought  them 
tiresome.  She  wanted  him  to  rise  in  the  political 
world,  but  quickly  and  without  all  this  diplomacy. 
She  complained  excessively  of  the  custom  of  night 
sittings  at  the  House.  Why  could  they  not  do,  as  in 
France,  so  at  Westminster,  and  get  the  whole  thing 
over  before  seven? 

One  afternoon,  when  Ada  had  gone  out  shopping 


226      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

and  Ames  was  engaged  with  Sims,  Barnes  called.  He 
had  come  up  from  Southampton  for  a  week,  he  said, 
and  wanted  to  speak  to  Ames  about  the  yachts.  It 
had  been  arranged  that  the  American  officers  and 
crew  of  the  Lohengrin  should  be  sent  back  to  Amer- 
ica, and  that  Barnes  should  take  command  in  the 
ensuing  season.  The  Exe,  it  was  decided,  should  be 
sold.  When  Ames  saw  Barnes  he  said: 

"  You  are  the  very  man  I  wished  to  see.  Call  for 
me  to-night  at  nine,  and  we  will  go  to  the  House 
together." 

Barnes  came  at  the  appointed  time  and  Ames  left 
with  him  at  once. 

"  Barnes,"  he  said,  as  they  were  walking  down  the 
street,  "  I  want  to  introduce  you  to  one  of  the  most 
beautiful,  most  honest,  and  most  charming  women  in 
the  world;  so  before  we  go  down  to  the  House  we'll 
take  a  hansom  and  drive  to  the  lady's  residence." 

They  entered  a  passing  hansom  and  drove  to  Bat- 
tersea.  On  the  way  Ames  said : 

"  And,  Barnes,  if  you  do  not  become  at  once  en- 
chanted to  the  extent  of  wishing  to  marry  her,  if  she 
is  still  free,  you  are  not  the  man  I  take  you  for." 

Barnes  coughed" 

"  May  I  ask,  Mr.  Ames,  if  the  lady  is  an  intimate 
friend  of  yours  ?  " 

"  I  understand  you,  Barnes.  You  fear  I  may  be 
wishing  to  get  rid  of  an  encumbrance.  Be  reassured, 
I  have  had  no  intimate  relations  with  this  paragon, 
and  once  I  thought  of  marrying  her  myself." 

They  reached  the  block  of  flats,  euphemistically 
called  mansions,  and  ascended  a  cold  stone  staircase 
to  the  third  floor. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      227 

Ames  rang  the  bell,  and  an  elderly  maid  appeared. 

"  Is  Miss  Claire  Dubois  in  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  the  maid  replied. 

"  Say  that  Mr.  Ames  is  here." 

A  moment  afterwards  they  were  shown  into  a  small 
parlour  tastefully  and  comfortably  furnished. 

"  See,"  said  Ames,  "  there's  a  piano  and  an  easel. 
The  ladies  who  live  here  have  plainly  some  artistic 
tendencies,  although  I  fear  but  little  leisure  to  indulge 
in  them.  There  on  the  sofa  is  a  piece  of  needlework 
in  course  of  execution.  It  is  clear  they  are  indus- 
trious, and  wherever  there's  industry,  depend  upon  it, 
Barnes,  there's  worth.  Look  how  charmingly  those 
chrysanthemums  are  placed  in  those  red  vases  on  the 
mantel." 

Barnes  assented  readily,  but  it  was  evident  that  he 
was  still  a  little  exercised  in  mind.  Presently  Claire 
entered,  statuesque,  superb,  in  a  black  cloth  dress, 
and  immediately  Ames  felt  a  sharp  pang  of  regret. 
Possibly  some  of  the  women  he  had  met  had  equal 
beauty,  but  none  had  this  especial  charm.  It  really 
would  seem  sacrilege  if  she  were  thrown  away  on 
Barnes,  who,  although  an  excellent  and  healthy  man, 
did  not  appear  sufficiently  refined. 

Ames  made  Claire  a  low  bow: 

"  You  see,"  he  said,  "  I  have  returned,  and  I  have 
taken  the  liberty  of  bringing  with  me  a  friend,  who 
accompanied  me  on  my  journey,  and  whom  I  wish  to 
introduce  to  you.  Captain  Barnes  is  a  skilful  navi- 
gator of  our  merchant  navy,  and  a  member  of  the 
Naval  Reserve." 

Claire  said: 

"  It  is  kind  of  you  to  come  and  see  me,  and  to 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

bring  Captain  Barnes.  What  have  you  been  doing 
since  we  met  ?  " 

Ames  looked  down  at  the  floor  and  slowly 
answered : 

"  I  have  been  getting  married." 

Claire  started. 

"  Oh,  then  it  was  you,  after  all !  I  read  of  the 
wedding  in  the  Paris  paper,  but  I  did  not  think  that 
it  was  yours.  They  called  you  Membre  du,  Parle- 
ment." 

Still  looking  at  the  floor,  Ames  said : 

« I  am." 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  a  silence.  Claire 
seemed  unable  to  find  words,  and  Ames  was  at  a  loss 
for  anything  to  say. 

She  said  at  length  in  a  faltering  tone : 

"  I  must  congratulate  you,  Mr.  Ames.  The  news 
is  a  surprise  to  me.  I  did  not  know.  You  did  not 
say.  But  now  I  understand." 

There  was  a  veiled  reproach  in  these  few  words, 
and  Ames  knew  that  it  was  merited. 

"  I  love  at  times,"  he  said,  "  to  be  plain  Mr. 
Ames.  It  enables  me  to  ascertain  how  much  or  how 
little  to  esteem  new  friends." 

She  looked  at  him  a  moment  almost  timidly;  then 
she  rose. 

"  Excuse  me  a  moment,  I  will  call  my  friend." 

Barnes  had  been  a  silent  witness  of  this  little  scene, 
and  as  soon  as  the  door  was  closed  he  glanced  at 
Ames  for  an  explanation. 

"Well,  well,"  said  Ames,  "I  affirm  what  I  said 
just  now.  My  relations  with  this  goddess  were  en- 
tirely platonic." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      229 

Claire  returned  with  her  friend,  a  schoolmistress 
of  some  thirty  years,  with  whom  Ames  chatted  for  a 
little  time,  while  Barnes  conversed  with  Claire.  Ames 
observed,  however,  that  throughout  the  visit  Claire's 
attitude  was  reserved  and  almost  apprehensive.  She 
had  confessed  to  him,  and  possibly  she  did  not  trust 
him  now.  How  wrong  of  her,  how  wrong!  When 
he  rose  to  leave,  he  complimented  her  upon  her 
charming  home.  Was  she  still  with  the  same  firm? 
Yes?  Some  day,  he  prophesied,  she  would  set  up 
for  herself  and  prosper.  If  there  was  anything  he 
could  do  for  her  to  advance  her  interests,  he  hoped 
she  would  not  fail  to  write.  She  thanked  him,  smil- 
ing faintly,  and  then  Barnes  and  he  withdrew. 

When  they  were  in  the  hansom  again,  driving  to 
the  House,  Ames  asked  Barnes  his  impression.  Barnes 
said: 

"  She's  lovely,"  and  Ames  sighed. 

"  Ah !  Barnes,  if  you  gain  her,  you're  the  most 
fortunate  of  men.  A  woman  of  that  type  has  it  in 
her  power  to  bestow  the  greatest  joy,  the  highest 
satisfaction  that  a  man  on  earth  can  know." 

Barnes  was  silent  for  a  moment.     Then  he  said: 

"  Excuse  me,  if  I  ask  you,  is  she  altogether 
straight  ?  " 

"  Cautious  navigator,"  Ames  replied,  "  I  declare 
to  you  that  there  is  nothing  crooked  in  her  nature. 
There  has  been,  it  is  true,  a  misfortune  in  her  life, 
unmerited  and  cruel,  and  she  would  marry  no  man 
without  confessing  it.  But  one  misfortune  and  one 
only.  Literally  the  deception  of  one  day,  and  the 
man  who  could  not  pardon  it  to  such  a  creature 
would  be  a  prejudiced,  short-sighted  individual." 


230       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  She  inspires  confidence,"  said  Barnes,  after  think- 
ing the  matter  out. 

"  Of  course  she  does ;  if  you  don't  return  to  Bat- 
tersea  on  Sunday  you'll  make  a  great  mistake." 

Barnes  simply  said: 

"  I  shall." 

Then  they  spoke  of  the  yachts  and  Ames  gave 
instructions  for  the  overhauling  of  the  Lohengrin, 
saying  that  his  wife  was  talking  of  a  voyage  to  the 
Pacific  later  on,  although  he  did  not  think  that  his 
engagements  would  permit  him  to  proceed  so  far. 

They  reached  the  House,  where  Ames,  who  had 
previously  given  Barnes  his  ticket  for  the  gallery,  left 
him  in  the  hall. 

Ames  was  by  no  means  in  an  even  frame  of  mind. 
The  sight  of  Claire  had  disturbed  him  greatly,  and 
he  almost  reproached  himself  with  having  betrayed 
himself  in  acting  as  he  had  that  evening.  He  had 
given  away  a  prize  which  he  might,  by  assiduity,  have 
gained.  There  really  must  be  a  moral  impulse  in 
him  after  all.  If  he  had  no  leanings  towards  a  better 
standard  of  morality,  he  would  never  have  conceived 
the  vast  contempt  which  he  entertained  for  so  many 
of  the  men  and  women  who  were  to  be  met  with  in 
society.  Very  likely  some  might  think  that  his 
morality  was  a  mere  calculation  of  self-interest,  but 
these  would  be  the  people  who  were  only  able  to  dis- 
cern the  less  recondite  motives  by  which  men  were 
guided.  He  must  banish  this  regret  for  Claire. 
He  pulled  himself  together  as  he  had  done  before 
and  entered  the  deliberative  chamber  with  a  firm 
step,  determined  to  seek  in  politics  a  change  of 
thought.  It  was  his  policy  in  Parliament  to  select 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       231 

those  questions  for  debate  which  concerned  the  wel- 
fare of  the  masses,  and  especially  that  class  which 
might  be  considered  philanthropic  and  non-partisan. 

It  happened  that  night  that  the  question  before 
the  House,  upon  his  entry,  was  the  housing  of  the 
poor,  a  question  which  he  had  already  studied.  He 
therefore  rose,  when  he  found  an  opportunity,  and 
delivered  a  speech  which,  although  somewhat  brief, 
was  sound  in  logic  and  excellent  in  style.  It  con- 
tained more  penetration  than  any  which  had  preceded 
it  and  it  was  so  well  received  that  even  the  leader  of 
the  Government,  who  happened  to  be  present,  looked 
at  Ames  approvingly.  As  soon  as  the  discussion 
ended,  Ames  left  the  House  and  walked  to  the  office 
of  his  paper,  where  he  dictated  a  trenchant  criticism 
of  unsanitary  homes. 

Then,  after  an  interview  with  Edwards  and  an  in- 
spection of  the  machines,  he  walked  home  slowly, 
fairly  contented  with  himself.  He  found  Ada  in  the 
drawing-room,  asleep  in  a  low  arm-chair  before  the 
fire,  an  unopened  book  upon  her  lap. 

He  stood  beside  her  for  some  moments  gazing  at 
her  full  round  face,  expressive  of  nothing  in  particu- 
lar, and  he  reflected  on  the  hazards  of  human  circum- 
stances that  had  made  her  so  phenomenally  rich. 
One  of  the  most  striking  marks  of  difference  between 
men  and  animals  was  this  power  of  the  former 
to  possess  and  when  possessing  to  procure  advan- 
tage. 

She  opened  her  eyes  slowly  and  when  she  saw  him 
standing  by  her  side  exclaimed: 

"  Oh,  Lohy,  I  dreamed  that  you  were  at  the  House 
and  speaking." 


232       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  That's  where  I  was,  Ada,  and  that's  what  I  was 
doing." 

"  I  should  think  they  must  be  surprised  down  there 
to  see  a  man  like  you  to  speak  up." 

"  A  man  like  me?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  of  course.  A  handsome  man.  Poli- 
ticians are  usually  ugly." 

Ames  laughed.  Women  were  always  thinking  of 
personal  appearance  and  seldom  of  mental  fitness. 
But  no  doubt  that  was  how  Nature  worked  through 
them. 

"  I  forgot  to  tell  you,  Lohy,  that  I  held  a  kind  of 
court  this  afternoon.  It's  wonderful  how  people 
adulate  one  here,  especially  the  men." 

"  Indeed,"  said  Ames.  "  Pray  tell  me  who  was 
here." 

"  Well,  there  was  the  nephew  of  the  Smeatons, 
Captain  Fortescue  and  Dr.  Frith.  They  all  made 
love  to  me  when  they  had  a  chance." 

"Of  course,  you're  joking,  Ada." 

"  No,  no,  I'm  not.  They  didn't  fall  down  on  their 
knees  and  make  a  declaration — no ;  but  they  went  on 
complimenting  mightily.  I  thought  them  comic, 
seeing  that  we've  only  just  been  three  months  mar- 
ried. It  struck  me  all  the  same,  that  in  this  country, 
if  a  husband  neglects  his  wife,  she's  got  a  remedy  at 
hand." 

To  Ames  this  was  a  ray  of  light. 

'Already  the  money  hunters  were  at  work,  trying 
to  enter  into  Ada's  favour  in  view  of  eventualities. 
In  such  a  case,  they  thought,  no  doubt,  that  even  the 
barest  chance  should  be  exploited.  What  a  servitude 
this  marriage  was !  She  had  warned  him  plainly  that 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      233 

if  he  flagged  in  his  attention  there  was  a  remedy  at 
hand.  One  must  always  be  on  the  watch  for  Cap- 
tains Fortescue,  and  Doctors  Frith,  the  poachers  on 
their  friends'  preserves !  Life  truly  was  a  constant 
struggle  against  the  hostile  enterprises  of  the  neigh- 
bour! 

He  sat  on  the  arm  of  her  chair  and  took  her  hand. 

"  It's  not  my  little  Ada  these  maurauders  should 
pursue,  for  she  is  not  neglected,  is  she?  " 

The  expression  of  Ada's  face  betrayed  uncer- 
tainty. First  she  pouted  and  then  she  smiled. 

"  Yes  and  no,  and  no  and  yes." 

"  Surely,  Ada,"  Ames  protested,  "  you  know  I 
can't  be  always  at  your  side." 

"  Not  for  the  whole  of  the  four-and-twenty  hours 
—no." 

Ames  understood  her  meaning.  This  marriage 
state  was  indubitably  tyrannous. 

"  Come,  Ada,  you  must  allow  your  husband  to  have 
some  prudence  and  a  little  wisdom." 

"  Of  course  I  will,  dear  Lohy.  I'm  not  quite  blind. 
I  know  you're  working  hard  with  that  brain  of  yours 
all  day,  because  you  think  I  want  you  to  become  a 
minister.  But  soon,  I  hope,  we'll  spend  the  week-ends 
down  in  Kent,  and  then " 

"  And  then,"  said  Ames,  with  an  amused  smile,  "  it 
will  be  different." 

She  placed  his  hand  against  her  cheek  and,  looking 
at  him,  said: 

"  Lohy,  you're  my  type,  my  everything,  and  when 
those  bandits  come  again  they'll  just  perceive  that 
I'm  a  Boston  girl." 

Yes,  Ames  thought,  it  was  impossible  to  doubt  that 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES 

she  was  still  in  love  with  him,  and  he  did  not  think 
that  he  ran  much  risk  from  the  speculative  band 
who  had  been  there  that  day.  It  was  not  a  little 
touching  that  she  should  think  he  was  striving  there 
at  Westminster  solely  to  please  her.  In  spite  of  her 
sharpness,  there  was  a  certain  nai'veness  in  her  char- 
acter which  showed  itself  in  such  interviews  as  these. 

However,  he  was  in  a  mood  that  night  to  be  con- 
ciliatory, and  therefore  he  inquired  of  her  what  ar- 
rangements she  had  made  for  going  down  to  Kings- 
lake  and  what  she  had  decided  for  the  furnishing  of 
her  own  boudoir,  listening  with  apparent  interest  to 
all  she  said.  They  would  have  a  happy  time  down 
there,  he  said,  and  really  it  would  do  her  good  to 
get  away  for  a  little  time  from  the  used-up  air  of 
London. 

At  length,  as  it  was  growing  late,  he  assisted  her 
to  rise,  and  arm-in-arm  they  went  upstairs  together. 


xni 

FOR  the  next  three  months,  Ames  lived  a  town  and 
country  life.  From  the  Friday  night  to  the  Monday 
afternoon  he  stayed  at  Kingslake,  where  he  amused 
himself  by  constructing  a  laboratory  at  the  end  of 
the  park,  in  which  it  pleased  his  fancy  to  study  the 
behaviour  of  the  elements  under  all  conditions  that 
he  could  conceive.  If  he  was  going  to  lead  a  lengthy 
family  life  with  Ada,  he  wanted  some  occupation  of 
this  kind,  both  as  a  change  from  politics  and  as  a 
refuge  from  excessive  conjugality.  Ada,  on  her 
part,  did  her  best  to  act  the  chatelaine  and  was  at 
pains  to  make  acquaintances  amongst  the  neigh- 
bours. But  she  was  continually  upon  wheels,  dash- 
ing into  the  adjacent  counties,  running  to  the  sea, 
seldom  succeeding  in  inducing  Ames  to  motor  with 
her.  Miss  Vandek,  however,  came  to  stay  with  her 
from  time  to  time,  and  Ames  invited  the  Smeatons 
now  and  then.  On  the  whole,  the  time  passed  pleas- 
antly enough,  Ames  thought,  in  their  ancestral  hall, 
which  Ada  had  had  hung  with  Gobelin  tapestry  and 
ornamented  with  knights  in  armour,  specially  pro- 
cured from  antiquaries  in  Paris.  Ames  marvelled 
that  a  being  so  particularly  modern  should  delight 
in  these  relics  of  a  former  age,  but  he  said  nothing 
on  the  subject,  although  he  knew  that  the  Smeatons, 
who  possessed  some  coats  of  mail  which  had  been 
worn  by  their  own  ancestors,  must  be  amused  when 
they  beheld  these  acquisitions.  One  thing  troubled 

235 

\ 


236       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Ames,  however.  Ada  insisted  on  hunting  at  least 
once  a  week,  and  though  he  did  not  care  for  it,  he  was 
obliged  to  accompany  her  or  allow  her  to  go  alone. 

In  such  matters  she  did  not  heed  a  word  he  said, 
and  he  knew  quite  well  that  it  was  useless  to  demur. 
She  had  been  far  too  much  accustomed  to  have  her 
own  way  when  a  child.  One  day  she  was  presented 
with  the  brush,  and  bore  the  trophy  home  in  triumph. 
Ames  took  it  from  her  in  the  hall,  placed  it  in  the 
headpiece  of  one  of  the  knights  in  armour,  as  a 
plume,  and  hurried  off  to  his  chemistry,  reflecting  on 
the  survival  of  the  hunting  instinct  in  the  people  of 
the  present  day. 

Kingslake  Castle,  with  its  towers  and  its  turrets, 
its  fine  baronial  dming-hall,  its  terraces,  and  lawns, 
was  all  very  well,  Ames  thought,  for  a  day  or  two  a 
week,  but  his  proper  sphere  was  London,  where  his 
interests  were  centred,  and  where  he  must  always 
pass  the  major  portion  of  his  time  so  long  as  he 
wished  to  play  an  active  part  in  life. 

His  journal  was  now  fairly  launched,  and  he  was 
well  contented  with  his  staff,  who  followed  his  in- 
structions carefully.  Edwards  had  been  successful 
in  obtaining  some  outside  contributors  whose  names 
bore  weight,  and  it  seemed  that  a  time  must  come 
when,  owing  to  an  increase  of  advertisements,  the 
paper  would  be  self-supporting.  He  had  been  pri- 
vately informed  that  its  influence  was  felt  in  the 
world  of  politics  in  spite  of  the  prudential  limits  of 
its  political  contents.  This  caused  him  satisfaction, 
because  it  proved  that  his  direction  had  been  wise. 
One  afternoon,  as  he  was  writing  in  the  room  which 
was  reserved  for  him  at  the  office  of  the  paper,  Edith 


THE  METHODS  OF.  MR.  AMES      237 


called,  and  he  received  her.  She  was  looking 
in  the  full  bloom  of  womanhood,  and  her  straight 
and  well-fleshed  frame  was  good  to  see,  Ames 
thought.  He  had  not  met  her  since  he  had  left  her 
with  the  party  on  the  yacht,  not  having  been  at 
home  when  she  had  called  on  Ada. 

She  entered  somewhat  timidly,  but,  reassured  by 
his  cordiality,  began  : 

"  I  came  to  ask  you  yet  another  favour.  You 
know  I  am  engaged  to  Dr.  Hope,  but  doctors  hi 
these  days  have  a  struggle  to  exist.  Now,  my  fiance 
is  clever  with  his  pen,  and  I  came,  without  consult- 
ing him,  to  know  if  you  would  let  him  write  some 
medical  reviews  and  articles." 

Ames  said  at  once  that  she  might  send  Hope  to 
the  office  when  she  liked  or  he  would  speak  to  him 
about  the  matter  the  next  time  he  met  him  at  the 
club. 

"  So  you  thought  you'd  marry,"  Ames  said,  with 
a  smile.  "  An  excellent  idea,  and  one  I  have  myself 
adopted." 

"  Yes,  and  how  magnificently  !  " 

Ames  asked  her  if  she  had  seen  Constance.  She 
answered  that  she  had  not,  but  had  heard  that  she 
was  still  living  in  her  large  house  in  solitary  state 
with  two  maidservants  and  no  carriage.  It  was  said 
that  on  her  husband's  death  the  estate  had  been 
partly  liquidated  to  pay  debts  and  that  a  pittance 
only  had  remained  for  her.  Nevertheless,  she  was 
still  supported  by  her  biggest  friends  and  was  said 
to  be  extremely  influential  at  the  league. 

"  Oh,"  said  Edith,  with  a  sigh,  "  she  was  one  of 
the  many  who  were  disappointed  on  that  yacht." 


238       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Indeed,"  said  Ames,  as  though  learning  a  new 
fact.  "  I'm  sorry  that  any  should  have  been  disap- 
pointed. All  were  so  charming,  all ! " 

She  smiled  somewhat  enigmatically,  and,  as  he 
seemed  busy,  left.  Constance  had  not  appealed  to 
him  like  Edith  and  had  preferred  to  suffer  poverty 
alone.  He  admired  that,  and  she  rose  greatly  in  his 
estimation.  He  would  have  liked  to  go  to  her  and 
to  spend  an  afternoon  with  her,  but  that  was  no 
longer  possible.  He  might  not  be  received,  and,  even 
if  he  were,  his  visit  might  lead  to  complications,  and 
besides,  he  was  not  free.  This  was  a  project  which 
must  be  cast  into  his  basket  of  impracticable  aims. 

Edith  had  said  that  Constance  was  now  an  influ- 
ential member  of  the  political  organisation  which 
was  of  all  the  most  ultra-montane,  and  he  could  well 
imagine  that  her  party  bias  had  quadrupled  since 
his  marriage,  because  with  women  thwarted  love  in- 
creases all  forms  of  bigotry.  He  had  not  inquired 
of  Edith  about  Lucy,  because  he  had  been  told  that 
she  had  turned  her  back  on  England  and  had  decided 
to  reside  in  future  in  Berlin  and  in  the  south  of 
France.  Lucy  was  wise  in  her  generation.  There 
were  reasons,  doubtless,  why  she  ought  not  to  re- 
main at  home.  What  Sybil  was  doing  he  might 
have  asked,  although  he  did  not  think  that  Edith 
knew.  Sybil  had  become  mysterious  of  late,  but  no 
doubt  she  was  pursuing  the  eternal  game  of  suste- 
nance and  pleasure.  Anyway,  she  had  not  come  to 
worship  at  Ada's  shrine,  and  that  was  one  point  in 
her  favour.  It  was  evident  that  the  bevy  of  beauty 
which  he  had  encountered  at  the  outset  was  becoming 
dispersed  or  else  estranged.  He  was  sorry,  but  the 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       239 

world  was  wide  and  the  opportunities  of  life  were 
many.  Nevertheless,  all  there  was  at  present  to  sat- 
isfy his  love  for  beauty  was  his  wife,  and  certainly 
that  was  not  overmuch.  He  supposed  that  later  on 
he  would  develop  an  instinct  of  paternity,  but  of  that 
he  had  not  yet  been  conscious,  and  he  could  scarcely 
understand  how  Ada  could  ever  be  a  mother  unless 
she  modified  herself  and  gave  up  hunting  foxes  to 
the  death,  which  it  would  not  be  easy,  he  foresaw, 
to  make  her  do.  Did  he  wish  for  offspring?  Well, 
he  did  not  think  the  world  a  very  happy  place  of 
sojourn  at  its  present  stage  for  the  majority  of  men 
and  women,  and  if  he  had  been  poor,  or  even  mod- 
erately meaned,  he  would  certainly  have  had  com- 
punction for  the  introduction  of  new  beings  into  it. 
But  under  the  circumstances,  it  seemed  to  him,  his 
progeny  would  have  a  remarkably  pleasant  time  on 
earth,  which  would  compensate  for  the  inevitable 
penalty  of  death.  It  would  have  been  easy  for  him 
to  found  a  family  outside  the  pale  of  matrimony  with 
some  woman  set  apart,  whose  physical  attractions 
satisfied  his  aspirations.  But  he  was  fond  of  order 
in  existence,  and,  in  reality,  of  justice,  and  he  did 
not  think  that  he  possessed  the  right  to  bring  into 
the  world  those  who  could  not  bear  his  name,  how- 
ever well  he  might  provide  for  them.  Besides,  the 
existence  of  secret  loves  always  became  known  and 
diminished  a  man's  prestige  and  power,  because  it 
gave  the  right  to  others  to  impair  the  fabric  upon 
which  his  status  rested.  At  the  same  time,  he  ad- 
mitted that  the  strict  observance  of  legality  might 
limit  the  expansiveness  and  life-zest  of  a  nature  like 
his  own.  Why  was  there  always  this  antithesis  be- 


240       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

tween  the  natural  impulsion  of  men  and  the  neces- 
sities of  social  life? 

Towards  the  middle  of  April  Ada  at  length  decided 
to  return  to  town.  The  season  was  advancing,  and 
it  was  time  that  she  attended  to  its  demands.  With 
Ames,  she  had  drawn  up  a  lengthy  programme  of 
the  hospitality  which  was  to  be  dispensed  at  Carlton 
Terrace.  There  were  to  be  two  balls  and  six  re- 
ceptions, besides  the  usual  fortnightly  dinners,  which, 
however,  were  to  be  larger  and  more  sumptuous  than 
before.  She  was  determined  that  before  the  session 
ended  she  would  have  the  Premier  at  their  table.  In 
the  summer  holidays  they  would  cruise  to  the  Pacific 
and  return  via  New  York. 

On  the  day  preceding  the  departure  from  Kings- 
lake,  Ada  had  invited  some  of  the  neighbours  to  a 
farewell  dinner,  as  well  as  Lady  Smeaton,  who  had 
promised  to  come  from  Folkestone,  where  she  had 
been  staying.  Ames,  having  some  affairs  to  settle  at 
the  Castle,  came  down  by  an  early  train  and  Ada  met 
him  at  the  station.  Ada  was  in  the  best  of  spirits 
and  was  looking  almost  pretty  in  her  dress  of  white 
coachman's  cloth  which  one  of  the  four  dogs  that  ac- 
companied her  had  marked  with  his  muddy  paw. 

Dismissing  the  car,  they  walked  through  the  lanes 
of  budding  trees  together  to  the  house,  enjoying  the 
air  of  the  fine  spring  morning. 

Leaning  on  Ames'  arm,  Ada  inquired  the  news  of 
the  last  few  days,  and  he  told  her  what  had  been 
going  on  at  Westminster  and  the  successes  which 
his  journal  had  achieved.  He  was  much  amused 
when  she  asked  him  why  his  paper  did  not  publish 
a  portrait  of  himself  instead  of  the  ugly  faces  which 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

appeared  in  it  from  day  to  day,  and  when  he  replied 
that  newspaper  proprietors  were  usually  modest  she 
burst  into  a  laugh. 

"  I  tell  you,  Lohy,  modesty's  no  good." 

Then  she  talked  of  her  small  affairs,  of  the  orders 
she  had  given  to  restock  the  park  with  deer  and  of 
certain  changes  in  the  servants'  livery.  She  would 
like  to  have  a  bear  pit  made  and  to  obtain  some  nice 
white  bears  to  fill  it,  but  that  could  wait  until  the 
winter.  She  was  so  glad  he  had  come  home  early, 
because  she  always  liked  to  see  as  much  of  him  as 
possible,  and  after  lunch  she  intended  going  for  a 
spin.  It  was  a  shame  that  he  would  never  go  with 
her! 

At  luncheon  she  maintained  her  buoyancy,  drink- 
ing freely  the  sparkling  Rhine  wine,  of  which  she  was, 
Ames  thought,  too  fond,  and  making  jokes  in  Italian 
at  the  expense  of  the  portly  butler  who  had  fallen 
in  the  wine  cellar  and  had  a  strip  of  sticking  plaster 
straight  across  his  nose. 

Ames  listened  indulgently  to  her  chatter;  but 
before  he  left  her  he  told  her  to  be  careful  on  the 
motor  drive  and  to  return  in  time  to  make  herself 
look  well  at  dinner.  She  kissed  him,  promising  that 
she  would  do  her  best  to  be  as  prudent  as  he  wished. 

For  the  next  hour  Ames  was  busy  with  the  gar- 
dener, giving  instructions  for  the  replanting  of  the 
rosery  and  the  introduction  in  the  greenhouse  of 
exotic  plants.  He  was  about  to  retire  to  his  work- 
shop when  the  noise  of  the  motor  sounded  in  the 
avenue.  It  was  Ada  leaving  for  her  drive.  She  was 
steering  the  great  refulgent  car  herself,  with  the 
chauffeur  at  her  side.  She  waved  her  hand  to  him, 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

and  in  another  moment  she  had  disappeared  behind 
the  pines  in  a  turn  of  the  winding  path. 

Strange  creature,  Ames  reflected,  but  not  without 
some  pleasing  ways.  Perhaps,  as  she  grew  older, 
she  would  become  more  balanced,  but  at  present  cer- 
tainly she  was  too  much,  as  the  French  said,  "  in 
the  air." 

He  passed  some  time  engaged  in  working  out  an 
algebraic  problem  which  had  exercised  his  mind  for 
some  days  past,  and  afterwards  in  performing  some 
experiments  which,  however,  he  found  to  be  somewhat 
difficult  without  assistants  and  additional  appliances. 
Then  he  sauntered  through  the  park,  realising  how 
impossible  it  was  for  any  man  to  develop  one-tenth 
part  of  the  germs  of  knowledge  given  in  the  encyclo- 
paedic courses  of  the  universities.  No  wealth  could 
grant  him  time  to  take  up  more  than  one  or  two 
pursuits,  and  it  was  unwise  to  crowd  life  with  too 
many  interests. 

Thinking  thus,  he  reached  the  house,  just  as  the 
declining  sun,  glowing  with  a  rich  red  light,  was 
illuminating  the  window  panes  and  casting  the 
shadows  of  the  gables  on  the  ground. 

As  he  had  an  hour  to  spare  before  he  dressed  for 
dinner,  he  amused  himself  by  placing  on  their  shelves 
some  of  the  books  which  he  had  sent  to  form  a 
library,  in  the  largest  of  the  smaller  rooms  on  the 
ground  floor.  As  he  was  doing  this,  he  came  across 
"  II  Principe  "  and  stopped  to  read  a  passage  here 
and  there.  Although  written  for  another  age,  the 
work  contained  some  principles  which  were  easily 
applicable  in  this,  as  he  had  proved,  he  thought.  The 
question  was,  however:  Did  the  putting  into  prac- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       243 

tice  of  such  principles  conduct  a  man  to  happiness? 
The  answer  must  depend,  he  judged,  on  what  was 
meant  by  happiness.  If  happiness  consisted  in  su- 
premacy, position,  free  exercise  of  will,  then  he 
thought  he  was  on  the  road  to  its  attainment.  But 
if  it  was  the  gratification,  in  its  highest  form,  of  the 
love  desire,  then  he  had  not  reached  it.  At  the  same 
time,  he  knew  well  that  love  was  evanescent,  while 
the  advantages  which  he  possessed  would  certainly 
endure.  Some  men  there  were  to  whom  all  these 
things  accrued  together,  but  the  number  of  such 
men  was  small.  Besides,  while  seeking  for  ideal  loves 
a  man  might  pass  his  life  unloved,  and  that  might 
have  a  bad  effect  upon  him.  As  soon  as  he  had  ar- 
ranged the  volumes  to  his  satisfaction,  he  left  the 
study  and  ascended  to  his  room.  He  had  not  heard 
the  sound  of  Ada's  motor  while  he  had  been  with 
his  books;  but  he  concluded  that  she  had  returned 
and  entered,  as  she  often  did,  by  the  small  door  in 
the  rear.  By  the  time  that  he  had  finished  dressing 
the  tower  clock  struck  the  half-hour  after  six.  He 
therefore  crossed  the  landing  to  his  wife's  room  to 
see  if  she  was  making  progress  with  her  toilet.  He 
knocked  at  the  door.  There  was  no  answer.  He 
turned  the  handle  and  the  room  was  empty.  He  de- 
scended to  the  hall  and  asked  the  first  servant  whom 
he  met  if  Mrs.  Ames  had  returned.  The  answer  was 
a  negative,  and  he  went  into  the  drawing-room,  won- 
dering how  Ada  could  be  so  thoughtless  as  to  stay 
out  so  late.  Lady  Smeaton  had  arrived  and  seemed 
somewhat  surprised  at  Ada's  absence,  which  Ames 
excused  as  best  he  could.  She  had  stayed  to  tea, 
no  doubt,  at  the  Glendovers',  and  had  not  well  timed 


244       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

the  homeward  drive.  He  spoke  for  some  time  with 
his  guest,  who  told  him  the  latest  news  of  the  set  to 
which  he,  or  more  correctly  Ada,  now  belonged,  and 
he  endeavoured  to  appear  interested  in  the  informa- 
tion he  received,  although  he  was  unable  to  refrain 
from  often  glancing  at  the  clock.  It  seemed  incred- 
ible that  Ada  should  forget  her  duties  thus ! 

Presently  the  other  guests  arrived  in  quick  suc- 
cession: the  parson,  a  thin  ecclesiastic  with  a  phe- 
nomenally long  nose,  a  man  whom  Ames  detested  for 
his  meddlesome  proclivities,  but  whom  Ada  liked ;  the 
baronet  who  owned  the  next  estate,  and  whom  Ames 
thought  an  imbecile;  a  magistrate  who  delighted  in 
harsh  sentences ;  the  chairman  of  a  railway  company, 
a  good  example  of  high  feeding,  and  finally  a  gen- 
eral, who  had  just  retired  from  the  service  and  had 
come  to  live  in  the  vicinity.  All,  except  the  parson, 
came  with  their  wives,  who  on  account  of  their  prox- 
imity to  town  were  not  at  all  provincial  in  their 
dress. 

There  was  at  once  a  hum  of  conversation  in  the 
drawing-room.  Ames  said  nothing  to  the  last  ar- 
rivals of  Ada's  absence,  but  he  went  out  to  the  hall 
and  despatched  a  servant  to  the  village  to  endeavour 
to  obtain  tidings  of  the  missing  car.  He  stood  him- 
self a  moment  at  the  door,  looking  out  into  the  half 
obscurity  and  wondering.  Suddenly  he  remembered 
that  the  doctor  who  had  been  invited  had  not  yet 
arrived.  Perhaps,  however,  he  had  been  called  away. 

He  returned  to  the  drawing-room,  where  the 
guests  were  still  busy  talking,  and  in  answer  to  Lady 
Smeaton's  question  as  to  whether  Ada  had  returned, 
he  said: 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       245 

"  In  a  few  moments,  I  feel  confident,  she  will  be 
here." 

Nevertheless  the  hour  of  the  dinner  was  already 
past,  and  there  was  as  yet  no  sign  of  Ada.  After 
a  while  the  conversation  flagged  and  the  guests  began 
to  look  at  Ames  inquiringly.  Ames  rose,  and  as  he 
was  moving  to  the  door  a  servant  entered  with  a 
grave  face. 

"Sir,  will  you  please  come?"  he  said,  and  Ames 
went  out. 

A  man  was  carrying  up  the  stairs  a  woman 
wrapped  in  a  motor  cloak  with  the  hood  drawn,  fol- 
lowed by  two  maid-servants,  who  were  weeping.  At 
the  foot  of  the  staircase  stood  Dr.  Richards,  the 
invited  guest.  He  seized  Ames'  hand  and  held  it. 

"  Mrs.  Ames,"  he  said,  "  has  met  with  a  grave 
accident.  As  I  was  driving  through  the  common, 
coming  here,  I  was  told  that  the  car  had  overturned 
and  had  fallen  down  the  bank.  I  hurried  to  the  spot. 
Both  your  wife  and  the  chauffeur  were  uncon- 
scious." 

"  My  wife,"  said  Ames,  "  is  dead.  I  read  it  in 
your  face."  And  he  ascended  to  Ada's  room,  fol- 
lowed by  the  silent  doctor. 

There,  on  the  great  oak  bed,  they  had  placed 
Ada.  Her  eyes  were  closed.  There  was  a  scar  upon 
her  face.  Her  light  dress  was  besmeared  with  blood. 
It  was  all  over.  She  had  driven  for  the  last  time! 

Ames  seized  her  hand.  It  was  already  cold.  Poor 
little  wayward  child,  he  thought,  a  victim  of  the 
folly  of  her  age!  Although  his  eyes  were  dry,  he 
was  conscious  of  a  pang.  He  had  lost  a  good  com- 
panion, and  one  who  was  attached  to  him. 


246       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  How  long,"  he  asked  the  doctor,  "  did  she  sur- 
vive? " 

"  Death,"  answered  Richards,  "  must  have  been  in- 
stantaneous from  concussion.  If  you  will  excuse  me 
I  will  go  to  the  chauffeur,  who  is  in  need  of  all  that 
I  can  do.  I  shall  make  the  necessary  arrangements." 

Saying  this,  he  left,  and  Ames  remained  for  a  few 
moments  gazing  at  the  pale  and  lifeless  form.  A 
very  short  lease  of  life,  he  thought;  very  short  in- 
deed ! 

He  left  the  room,  and  on  the  landing  he  found 
Lady  Smeaton  and  the  parson.  In  answer  to  their 
condolences  he  said: 

"  The  motor  has  made  another  victim ! "  And 
on  the  parson  asking  if  he  might  enter  the  mortuary 
chamber,  he  answered: 

"  Yes,  please  go  and  pray." 

Then  he  went  to  his  own  room,  wrote  telegrams  to 
Ada's  relatives  and  friends,  and  after  giving  a  few 
directions  to  the  housekeeper,  and  observing  for  a 
moment  the  departure  of  the  guests,  he  unlocked  a 
cabinet  in  which  he  kept  the  great  elixir  he  had 
given  Mair  upon  his  wedding  day.  He  had  not 
needed  it  on  that  occasion,  but  now,  somewhat  un- 
nerved, as  he  acknowledged  himself  to  be,  he  judged 
it  to  be  necessary.  Drawing  out  the  flask,  he  filled 
a  glass  with  the  liqueur,  which  he  drank  leisurely. 
Then,  after  walking  up  and  down  the  room  for  a 
short  time,  he  undressed  and  went  to  bed. 

The  next  morning  when  he  awoke,  the  sun  was 
streaming  through  the  windows  and  the  birds  were 
singing  loudly  in  the  trees.  As  he  opened  his  eyes 
and  saw  the  glad  spring  aspect  of  the  morning  he 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       247 

could  scarcely  realise  that  Ada  had  taken  leave  of 
life  and  that  a  new  era  in  his  existence  was  about 
to  dawn.  He  had  slept  so  peacefully  all  night  that 
it  seemed  at  first  that  the  events  of  the  day  before 
must  be  a  dream.  However,  he  quickly  shook  off 
the  illusion,  sprang  out  of  bed,  and  began  to  use 
his  clubs.  By  physical  means,  most  trouble  could  be 
overcome. 

During  the  next  four  days  he  passed  through  a 
period  of  unrest  and  of  gloom.  There  were  formal- 
ities to  be  gone  through,  demeanour  to  be  maintained, 
and  Ada's  aunt  to  be  received,  and  the  letters  and 
telegrams  that  showered  in  disturbed  him,  so  that  he 
had  Sims  down  to  answer  those  that  needed  a  reply. 

Mrs.  Adams  was  inconsolable.  Her  little  Ada, 
whom  she  had  nursed  when  she  was  a  babe! 

"  But  why  did  you  let  her  go  for  those  motor 
drives  ?  "  she  asked. 

And  Ames  replied: 

"  Because  she  had  a  passion  for  locomotion  which 
nothing  but  imprisonment  could  check." 

"  Did  you  warn  her  of  the  danger  of  high  speed?  " 
the  aunt  inquired. 

"  Often  ;  and  not  later  than  yesterday  I  asked  her 
to  be  careful." 

Mrs.  Adams  said  no  more,  but  it  was  evident  that 
she  was  scarcely  satisfied  and  she  maintained  towards 
him  an  attitude  of  slightly  marked  reserve  which 
vexed  him.  If  she  had  any  arriere  pensee  he  wished 
she  would  speak  out,  and  unless  she  did  he  would 
not  be  sorry  when  she  left. 

After  the  funeral  was  over,  after  Ada,  embalmed, 
had  been  laid  to  rest  in  a  temporary  receptacle  in 


248      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

the  village  churchyard,  pending  the  erection  of  a 
sumptuous  mausoleum,  and  when  those  invited  to  the 
ceremony  had  departed,  Ames  sat  down  to  dinner, 
accompanied  by  Mair,  whom  he  had  asked  to  stay 
with  him  until  to-morrow. 

"  Mair,"  he  said,  "  six  months  ago  you  saw  me 
wedded,  and  to-day  you  see  me  once  again  a  celibate. 
The  wheel  of  destiny  turns  swiftly,  does  it  not,  at 
times?" 

"  In  your  case,  certainly ;  but  then  you  are  so 
totally  exceptional.  I  often  think  you  are  a  kind 
of  superman." 

"  I  lay  no  claim  to  supermanliness.  Circumstances 
make  me  what  I  am." 

Mair  shook  his  head. 

"  You  shape  them." 

Ames  frowned. 

"  Not  all." 

Mair  saw  that  he  had  committed  an  indiscretion, 
and  hastened  to  add  in  a  grave  tone: 

"  Of  course,  I  know,  not  all." 

"  I  am  sorry  she  has  gone,"  said  Ames.  "  She  was 
a  lively  little  lady  and  I  should  have  passed  my  life 
with  her.  But  now — with  whom  am  I  to  pass  my 
life?  " 

"  I  should  suppose,"  said  Mair,  "  that  when  the 
time  comes  there  will  only  be  an  embarrassment  of 
choice." 

"  Yes,  yes ;  you  think  like  all  the  rest  that  because 
a  man  is  rich  he  can  obtain  the  moon.  Relinquish 
that  idea.  A  poor  man  sometimes  gets  what  a  Croesus 
sighs  for  vainly." 

"  That's  true,"  said  Mair,  "  although  few  people 


THE  METHODS  OB!  MR.  AMES      249 

will  believe  it  now.  I  remember  once  in  Paris  there 
was  a  girl  art  student  who  was  so  beautiful  and 
charming  that  all  the  youngsters  were  in  love  with 
her.  A  wealthy  young  financier  offered  to  marry 
her,  but  she  refused  him  for  an  artist  poorer  than 
herself." 

"  Of  course,  Mair,  such  things  happen.  I  believe 
I  know  a  young  girl  now  quite  capable  of  refusing 
a  millionaire." 

"  Such  a  woman  would  be  worth  an  infinitude  to 
win." 

"  That  is  as  I  see  it,  Mair.  I'm  glad  that  you 
agree  with  me." 

When  the  dinner  was  over,  Ames  proposed  that 
they  should  go  and  ascertain  how  the  chauffeur  was, 
and  accordingly  they  went  round  to  the  stables,  at 
the  side  of  which  was  the  garage  and  the  house  where 
the  injured  servant  lived.  As  they  reached  it,  the 
doctor  was  just  leaving. 

"  The  poor  fellow  has  just  died,"  he  said.  "  His 
sufferings  were  dreadful." 

"  His  wife,"  said  Ames,  "  shall  be  provided  for,  as 
well  as  his  two  boys." 

They  walked  back  to  the  house  together,  and 
Richards  spoke  of  Ada. 

"  So  good-tempered,  such  a  happy  nature !  We 
shall  never  have  her  equal.  Two  beds  she  endowed 
at  our  cottage  hospital !  " 

"  And  I,"  said  Ames,  "  endow  to  her  memory  two 
more." 

Richards  thanked  him  warmly. 

"  What  a  blessing  there  are  people  in  the  world 
like  you ! " 


250       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  There  is  a  growing  party,"  Ames  remarked, 
"  which  holds  that  we  are  parasites." 

But  the  doctor  was  no  socialist. 

"  That's  what  they  are  themselves." 

They  entered  the  house,  and  Richards  rested  a 
few  moments  in  the  library. 

"  I  should  think,"  Ames  said,  "  that  you  must 
realise  at  times  what  a  waste  of  life  is  constantly 
produced,  seeing  that  you  are  present  at  the  ending 
up  of  so  many  men  and  women.  Do  you  not  some- 
times feel  that  it  is  all  a  vain  expenditure  which 
might  just  as  well  not  be  incurred?  " 

But  Richards  shook  his  head. 

"  No,  in  all  this  birth  and  death  I  see  a  purpose." 

"Indeed?"  said  Ames.  "Would  you  kindly  tell 
me  what  it  is  ?  " 

"  It  cannot  be  expressed  in  words,  but,  depend 
upon  it,  we  are  moving  to  a  goal." 

"  Can  you,  by  using  millions  of  years  as  days, 
assign  a  date  for  its  attainment?  " 

"  No,  I  cannot." 

"  Then  you  must  allow  me  to  be  sceptical ! " 

Richards  heaved  a  sigh. 

"  Surely  you  are  not  a  pessimist ! " 

"  I  am  no  1st  of  any  kind.  I  merely  seek  for  in- 
formation." 

Mair  said: 

"  Schopenhauer  thought  that  we  and  our  earth 
are  disturbing  uselessly  the  happy  rest  of  nothing- 
ness, and  sometimes  he  seems  to  me  to  be  not  alto- 
gether wrong;  only  I  can't  perceive  much  happiness 
in  the  rest  of  the  frigid  ether." 

"  Yes,"  said  Ames.    "  That  was  a  mere  jeu  d'esprit 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       251 

on  the  part  of  the  philosopher  of  Frankfort.  The 
fact  is,  we  must  either  be  content  to  consider  our- 
selves as  far  more  important  in  the  scheme  of  things 
than  we  probably  are,  or  fall  into  indifference  con- 
cerning life,  its  motives,  and  its  aims.  If  we  adopt 
the  latter  course,  we  shall  soon  feel  inclined  to  quit. 
At  any  rate,  if  there  is  ever  to  be  found  a  key  to  the 
enigma,  it  won't  be  in  our  time." 

The  doctor  closed  the  argument. 

"  Well,  well,  since  we  can't  help  being  born,  we 
may  as  well  take  comfort  by  supposing  that  we  live 
for  a  good  end ! " 

The  next  morning  Ames  returned  to  town.  In 
the  afternoon  he  was  busy  at  his  office,  and  so  occu- 
pied that  he  forgot  his  personal  affairs.  But  when 
he  returned  to  his  house  for  dinner  and  he  found 
himself  at  the  table  he  could  not  help  feeling  lonely. 
There,  at  his  side,  was  the  place  which  she  had  lately 
filled.  On  the  mantel  was  a  card-case  she  had  used. 
He  must  be  growing  sentimental  to  be  noticing  such 
things,  he  thought,  and  when  the  meal  was  over  he 
surprised  himself,  roaming  about  the  house  as  though 
in  search  for  something  that  he  missed.  He  reached 
the  bedroom  that  had  been  his  wife's.  Here  there 
were  further  traces  of  her  presence,  and  he  fancied 
that  her  form  was  slightly  marked  in  the  great  white 
bed. 

He  withdrew  and  went  down  to  the  library,  where 
he  tried  to  read,  but  could  not.  He  threw  down  the 
book  and  engaged  in  a  discussion  with  himself.  Had 
he,  or  had  he  not,  sufficiently  dissuaded  her  from 
those  motor  risks?  Ought  he,  or  ought  he  not,  to 
have  imprisoned  her  rather  than  let  her  take  them? 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Perhaps  he  ought;  but  if  he  had,  what  would  have 
happened?  She  would  have  complained  of  cruelty 
and  returned  to  her  old  proclivities  as  soon  as  she 
was  free.  Nevertheless,  he  felt  that  he  was  arguing 
thus  in  order  to  convince  himself  that  he  had  acted 
well;  but  at  the  bottom  of  his  mind  there  lurked  a 
scruple.  There  could  be  little  doubt  that  he  should 
have  used  more  zeal  in  urging  her  to  give  up  the 
pursuit  which  had  caused  her  death.  Well,  if  he 
had  loved  her  more,  no  doubt  he  would  have  been 
more  zealous,  but  he  had  married,  in  the  main,  for 
increased  wealth,  and  of  course  in  doing  so  he  had 
done  what  was  not  reconcilable  with  very  strict  mo- 
rality. But  was  there  anyone  who  would  have  acted 
better  in  the  present  age?  At  all  events,  he  was 
sorry  she  had  gone,  because  he  thought  he  would 
have  grown  attached  to  her  more  closely  as  the  years 
went  by,  since  there  was  scarcely  a  stronger  force 
than  that  of  habit.  And  again,  if  she  had  married 
some  spendthrift,  as  she  might  easily  have  done,  her 
enormous  wealth  might  have  been  dissipated  idly, 
whereas  now  it  would  be  well  applied.  It  was  for- 
tunate that  from  the  first  he  had  declined  to  drive 
with  her,  or  he  might  have  been  annihilated,  too,  and 
the  money  might  have  reverted  to  some  distant  trans- 
atlantics, who  would  probably  have  used  it  to  less 
purpose. 

Suddenly  he  remembered  her  unfinished  portrait 
in  the  upper  studio.  Should  he  finish  it  from  mem- 
ory? He  did  not  think  so,  because  women  would  be 
women,  and  her  successor,  when  she  came,  would  no 
doubt  seek  to  banish  it  from  sight.  And  that  would 
cause  him  pain  and  excite  his  stern  displeasure.  No, 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      253 

Ada  must  live  in  his  memory  alone;  but  there  she 
would  always  occupy  a  premier  position,  and  really, 
after  all,  her  immolation  on  the  altar  of  velocity  was 
not  his  fault.  Consoled  with  this  reflection,  he 
called  for  his  hat  and  coat,  and  walked  up  to  the 
club. 

Craig  was  the  only  member  in  the  smoking-room. 
Seated  before  a  window,  the  blind  of  which  had  not 
been  drawn,  he  was  looking  out  into  the  street,  philos- 
ophising, no  doubt,  Ames  thought,  upon  the  move- 
ment in  it.  When  he  saw  Ames,  he  said: 

"  Well,  legislator,  director  of  the  public  mind, 
Dives,  and  I  know  not  what  besides,  how  is  it  with 
you?  I  have  not  seen  you  for  some  time,  but  I  have 
watched  your  progress.  First,  member  of  uncertain 
hue,  pleading  the  cause  of  the  lowly,  then  originator 
of  an  esoteric  journal,  are  you  not  the  kind  of  man 
the  rulers  must  eventually  recompense  to  bring  you 
into  line?  What  is  it  that  you  ask  of  them?  Say 
and  it  shall  be  given,  whether  merited  or  not." 

Ames  took  a  seat  beside  the  club  philosopher. 

"  Mr.  Craig,  I  gather  from  what  you  say  that 
you  are  quite  convinced  I  am  about  to  follow  the 
ancient  path  of  the  self-seeker,  of  the  man  whose 
self-love  craves  the  reverence  of  all,  and  who  takes 
any  means  to  gain  it.  You  have  seen  me  seizing  the 
opportunities  that  offered  themselves  to  me,  but  until 
you  know  how  I  intend  to  use  them  I  do  not  think 
you  would  be  wise  to  draw  conclusions." 

Craig  turned  in  his  chair  and  stared  at  Ames. 

"  Might  it  be  possible  that  you  are  an  exception 
to  the  rule?  But,  no,  no,  no !  if  you  were,  they'd  find 
the  way  to  rid  themselves  of  you,  and  then  you'd 


254s      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

have  to  go  into  the  camp  of  the  hungry  men,  a  place 
where  Dives  cannot  live." 

"  Now  supposing,"  Ames  said,  with  a  smile,  "  that 
I  were  much  less  complex  than  you  think,  that  I 
were  simply  seeking  justice  on  its  own  account,  what 
would  you  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  that  you  were  a  phenomenon  that 
had  not  been  hitherto  produced." 

Ames  said: 

"  Wait  and  see." 


XIV 

AMES  passed  the  summer  quietly  in  strict  attention 
to  his  work,  which  grew  from  day  to  day.  He  was 
becoming  known.  The  story  of  his  colossal  wealth 
had  got  abroad,  and  he  was  regarded  as  a  man  of 
almost  transcendental  monetary  force,  who  was  to 
be  ranked  high  up  among  the  fortuned  few. 

The  Smeatons,  who  had  a  niece  just  "  coming 
out,"  endeavoured  to  attract  him  to  their  house,  but 
unsuccessfully.  He  wished  to  devote  himself,  for  a 
time,  entirely  to  business.  When  all  had  been  or- 
dained according  to  his  ideas,  then  it  would  be  time 
to  come  into  the  world  again.  And  also  he  wanted 
a  little  time  to  reflect  on  certain  principles  which 
might  require  to  be  modified. 

One  of  his  principal  relaxations  consisted  in  visit- 
ing art  galleries,  and  having  received  an  invitation 
to  an  exhibition  of  a  Polish  artist  who  was  quickly 
rising  into  fame,  he  walked  to  Bond  Street  to  inspect 
it.  He  was  pleased  with  the  painter's  talent,  espe- 
cially in  the  delineation  of  scenes  of  Polish  history, 
and  was  walking  through  the  rooms,  in  the  contented 
frame  of  mind  into  which  he  was  usually  thrown  by 
the  sight  of  creditable  art,  when  he  suddenly  found 
himself  face  to  face  with  Sybil.  He  almost  started 
when  he  saw  her.  What  a  change  had  taken  place  in 
her!  Instead  of  the  firm  and  classic  countenance 
which  he  had  once  so  much  admired,  he  saw  a  face 

253 


256      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

that  was  drawn  and  marked,  with  eyes  that  had  lost 
their  lustre. 

She  smiled  almost  scornfully  as  he  raised  his  hat, 
but  stopped. 

"  So  we  meet  again,"  she  said ;  "  I  suppose  you 
think  I  should  have  come  to  call  some  time  ago,  but 
the  fact  is,  after  the  yacht  experience,  I  felt  a  little 
shy.  I  compliment  you  on  the  way  you  managed 
that;  you're  skilful,  very.  People  talk  about  your 
skill." 

"  The  yacht  affair,"  he  said,  "  is  ancient  history. 
If  people  talk  about  my  skill,  I  must  feel  flattered, 
so  long  as  they  talk  in  a  good  sense.  If  otherwise, 
I  shall  know  how  to  defend  myself." 

"  Will  you  call  in  the  police?  " 

Ames  made  an  impatient  movement. 

"  Let's  cease  this  trifling.  Tell  me  how  you  are 
and  how  it  is  with  you.  Did  I  not  hear  some  talk 
of  an  engagement?  " 

**  I  have  been  very  ill,  as  you  can  see  by  my  face, 
of  course.  My  sister's  dead,  and  there's  no  engage- 
ment." 

"  Bad  news,"  said  Ames.  "  I  wish  I  knew  what  I 
could  do  for  you." 

She  looked  into  his  face  a  moment. 

"Peugh!     You  simply  talk  to  talk." 

This  seemed  to  him  a  fitting  opportunity  to  end 
the  interview.  She  really  was  too  rude.  Without 
replying,  therefore,  he  raised  his  hat,  and  was  pass- 
ing on,  when  she  called  him  back. 

"  Excuse  me,"  she  said,  "  I  didn't  mean  to  be  so 
harsh,  but  really  I  have  had  too  much  of  late  to 
suffer  from  your  sex." 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       257 

"  Yes,  you  are  passing  through  a  crisis.  You 
are  paying  the  penalty  of  having  infringed  the  laws 
of  established  order.  Oh,  do  not  think  I  blame  you! 
Youth  sometimes  makes  demands  which  cannot  be 
refused.  Unfortunately,  there  comes  a  time  of  reck- 
oning when  the  existence  of  convention  is  keenly 
realised.  But  do  not  let  convention  trouble  you.  It 
is  only  made  by  those  who  break  its  rules  in  secret. 
You  seem  to  me  to  have  conceived  a  grudge  against 
the  world.  Do  not  increase  that  feeling,  or  it  will 
bring  retaliation  on  you.  Rather  change  it  into  a 
courageous  independence  that  will  carry  you  along 
through  life." 

She  said : 

"  You  give  me  good  advice,  but  what  do  you  know 
of  me?" 

"  More  than  you  suspect,  but  I  am  the  most  dis- 
creet of  men." 

She  reflected  for  a  moment,  troubled. 

"  Why  are  you  in  mourning?  "  she  asked  at  length. 

"  Have  you  not  heard  that  I  have  lost  my 
wife?" 

She  shook  her  head.  No,  she  had  not  heard. 
Lately  she  had  kept  aloof  from  every  one  and  had 
scarcely  read  the  papers.  At  once,  however,  he  ap- 
peared to  possess  more  interest  for  her. 

"  Bad  news,  as  you  said  just  now.  We  are  both 
alone,  apparently,  in  life.  Will  you  not  come  and 
dine  with  me  to-night  at  my  club,  *  The  Origo '  ?  " 

At  once  Ames  saw  the  trap.  No,  no.  Sybil  had 
lost  her  beauty.  She  would  never  regain  it  now, 
and  he  was  not  disposed  to  make  the  effort  needful 
to  defend  himse'lf  against  her.  Women  in  her  state 


258       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

were  generally  desperate  and  ready  to  attach  them- 
selves like  limpets  to  a  man  of  means.  He  excused 
himself  on  the  plea  of  business  at  the  House,  and  at 
once  her  countenance,  on  which  a  gleam  of  hope  had 
passed,  resumed  its  tired  and  dejected  air. 

"  Good-bye,"  she  said ;  "  you  know  where  I  am  to 
be  found." 

He  pressed  her  hand,  assuring  her  that  he  would 
always  be  glad  to  hear  of  her  welfare,  always  ready 
to  counsel  her  in  any  difficulty.  Then  he  left  the 
gallery,  congratulating  himself  greatly  on  having 
avoided  so  dangerous  a  shoal.  Because,  although 
Sybil  was  by  nature  of  the  good  class,  he  knew  quite 
well  how  easily  adversity  and  disappointment  might 
force  her  to  the  bad  category. 

In  Bond  Street  he  met  Penton,  who  appeared  to 
have  grown  younger.  He  was  coming  to  call  on 
Ames,  he  said,  to  ask  him  if  he  would  become  a 
director  in  a  great  financial  company  of  which  he 
was  the  chairman,  and  which  was  formed  to  deal  in 
American  securities.  As  Ames  was  so  skilful  an 
administrator,  he  would  like  to  have  him  on  the 
Board.  He  would  send  him  the  particulars.  The 
dividend  was  expected  to  be  nothing  less  than  twenty- 
five  per  cent. 

"  My  dear  Penton,"  Ames  said  in  his  softest  tone, 
"  I  value  my  liberty  too  much." 

"  You  mean,  of  course,  your  time." 

"  No,  no,  my  liberty,  my  freedom  from  incarcera- 
tion; and  I  sincerely  trust,  if  you  embark  upon  this 
enterprise,  you  won't  lose  yours.  Turn  your  back 
upon  the  city,  Penton,  while  there  is  yet  time.  Tell 
me,  how  is  the  Grafin  ?  " 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       259 

Penton  was  inclined  to  be  offended,  but  he  con- 
quered his  ruffled  feelings,  and  replied: 

"  Oh!  just  as  you  like,  of  course.  I  don't  go  into 
things  without  being  sure  they're  sound.  My  daugh- 
ter is  in  Berlin  and  at  the  Court.  She  is  about  to 
make  a  tour  around  the  world." 

After  this  he  said  good-bye  with  an  air  of  offended 
dignity.  Ames  thought :  "  If  he  gets  among  the 
city  wolves,  they'll  certainly  devour  him,  unless  he  be 
a  wolf  himself !  " 

When  he  reached  his  house,  Sims  handed  him  a 
letter  which  had  just  arrived.  It  was  from  Smeaton, 
who  had  put  Ames  up  for  a  social  club  to  which  he 
himself  belonged,  and  it  informed  him  that  he  had 
been  blackballed.  It  was  incomprehensible,  Smeaton 
said,  because  his  candidates  had  always  hitherto  got 
in.  Ames  must  have  some  secret  enemy,  or  such  a 
thing  could  never  have  occurred.  Annoyed,  Ames 
tore  the  letter  into  little  pieces.  Smeaton  was  quite 
right,  there  was  an  enmity  at  work  against  him,  and 
this  was  a  fresh  manifestation  of  its  strength.  And, 
for  the  rest,  it  was  Smeaton's  fault  that  this  had 
happened,  since  it  was  at  his  instance  he  became  a 
candidate.  It  was  tiresome  that  these  Smeatons  could 
not  leave  him  to  his  own  devices. 

He  had  observed,  also,  that  a  portion  of  the  Oppo- 
sition Press  spoke  of  him,  when  it  did  not  ignore 
him  altogether,  in  a  way  that  was  quite  unusual, 
and  this  was  the  more  strange  as  he  knew  the  deep 
respect  in  which  men  of  wealth  were  generally  held. 
There  was  an  etiquette  to  be  observed  among  Press 
people,  and  if  it  was  laid  aside  whenever  he  was  in 
question,  then  something  must  be  wrong.  In  a  satiri- 


260       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

cal  weekly  he  was  travestied  as  Signer  Amores,  the 
Dark  Party.  Even  when  he  made  a  large  donation 
to  the  funds  of  a  new  hospital,  the  fact  was  chron- 
icled by  the  adverse  journals  in  the  smaller  type.  He 
put  the  matter  eventually  into  the  hands  of  Sims, 
who  was  a  patient  and  keen  investigator,  possessing 
his  entire  confidence.  One  day,  also,  he  received  a 
letter  of  blackmail.  If  he  did  not  pay  five  thousand 
pounds,  the  orgies  of  his  secret  room  should  be  re- 
vealed. This  he  put  in  the  wastepaper  basket.  It 
seemed  clear  to  him  that  a  legend  was  in  process  of 
formation,  and  he  realised  that  the  vocation  of  mil- 
lionaire was  not  without  its  cares.  There  was  noth- 
ing illicit  in  his  life,  and  it  was  really  a  sign  of  very 
bad  times  indeed,  if  he  was  to  be  accused  of  crimes 
which  he  never  had  committed.  His  "  secret  room  " 
was  a  freak  of  his  earlier  fancy,  but  he  could  quite 
well  see  how  it  might  be  used  against  him.  When 
he  was  not  at  work,  he  certainly  felt  dull.  He  had 
scarcely  added  to  his  list  of  friends,  not  because 
there  were  no  candidates  for  his  friendship,  but  be- 
cause his  early  experience  of  life  had  made  him  wary. 
Of  course  there  were  hosts  of  facile  pleasures  in  his 
reach,  and  it  was  possible  that  his  bodily  health 
might  benefit  by  a  limited  indulgence  in  them;  but 
he  was  convinced  that  they  would  leave  a  lassitude 
of  thought  behind  them  which  would  spoil  the  mental 
state  in  which  he  liked  to  dwell.  Soon,  he  supposed, 
he  would  have  to  think  of  finding  a  companion  of 
the  other  sex.  When  he  remembered,  however,  the 
smoking,  drinking,  gambling  women  which  the  age 
produced,  he  shrank  from  a  project  of  that  kind. 
Were  there  no  other  women  to  be  met?  Of  course 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      261 

there  were,  if  only  one  sought  well.  Had  he  not  met 
the  true  type  once  ?  Yes,  but  a  year,  or  thereabouts, 
had  passed  since  then,  and  perhaps  she  was  no  longer 
free. 

It  was  a  Sunday  afternoon  as  he  reflected  thus, 
and  suddenly  he  rang  the  bell. 

"  Giacomo,  quick !  my  hat  and  gloves." 

In  another  moment  he  was  in  a  hansom  and  on 
his  way  to  Bayswater.  At  Gloucester  Gate  he 
alighted  at  the  Hursts'  door,  and  as  he  rang  he 
could  not  help  feeling  guilty.  He  had  given  the 
Hursts  no  intimation  of  his  marriage  and  had  acted 
for  many  months  as  though  oblivious  that  they  lived. 
Therefore,  it  was  not  without  some  qualms  of  con- 
science that  he  told  the  maid  his  name  and  followed 
her  upstairs. 

In  the  drawing-room  Mrs.  Hurst  and  her  daughter 
were  talking  to  a  visitor  whose  back  was  turned.  The 
visitor  rose  as  he  entered,  and  to  his  surprise  he 
witnessed  Moore. 

There  was  a  moment  of  embarrassment,  both  on 
the  part  of  the  Hursts  and  Moore.  At  length  the 
former  greeted  him  with  a  subdued  politeness  with 
a  shade  of  coolness.  Moore,  however,  merely  bowed, 
without  offering  his  hand.  Ames  noticed  that  the 
Hursts  were  dressed  in  mourning. 

Moore  continued  his  conversation  with  Elaine. 
Ames,  therefore,  spoke  to  Mrs.  Hurst.  As  well  as  he 
could,  he  explained  to  her  that  his  marriage  had 
taken  place  abroad  and  that  his  wife  had  not  yet 
made  the  acquaintance  of  all  his  friends  when  she 
met  with  her  fatal  accident.  He  felt  that  the  excuse 
was  lame,  but  he  was  somewhat  disconcerted  by  the 


262       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

formality  of  the  reception  which  he  was  receiving 
(Elaine  having  scarcely  glanced  in  his  direction), 
and  he  was  unable  to  construct  a  better  one  in  strict 
conformity  with  truth.  And  while  he  was  asking 
Mrs.  Hurst  how  she  had  passed  the  London  winter, 
and  learning  from  her  that  they  had  been  to  the 
Riviera  after  the  death  of  her  aged  father,  he  heard 
Elaine  tell  Moore  that  they  would  spend  the  summer 
at  some  place  in  France.  The  young  girl,  more  in- 
teresting than  ever  with  her  air  of  candour,  was  tell- 
ing Moore  of  her  experiences  at  a  bazaar  at  which  he 
had  been  present,  and  it  was  evident  from  what  she 
said  that  they  were  in  the  habit  of  meeting  often 
and  were  on  the  whole  on  more  intimate  terms  than 
previously.  It  looked  very  much  as  if  Moore  was 
paying  court,  although  it  was  hard  to  believe  that 
he  should  do  so,  considering  the  modest  means  which 
the  Hursts  were  known  to  have.  He  sustained  the 
conversation  with  the  mother  while  thinking  the  mat- 
ter out.  Why,  after  all,  should  they  be  so  reserved 
with  him?  They  were  much  too  high-minded  and 
urbane  to  take  serious  offence  at  his  neglect  of  them, 
and  if  they  were  thus  shy  it  must  be  that  they,  too, 
had  been  influenced  against  him.  Suddenly  an  idea 
struck  him.  Ha,  the  influence  wasn't  far  to  seek! 
The  influence  was  Moore's.  Moore  had  a  grudge 
against  him  on  account  of  Ada,  and  had  no  doubt 
been  damaging  him  here,  and  perhaps  elsewhere.  It 
was  curious  conduct  for  a  debtor,  but  it  was  part, 
perhaps,  of  the  new  behaviour.  Well,  now  that  he 
felt  sure  of  this,  he  would  know  how  to  shape  his 
course.  He  strove  to  interest  the  mother  by  speak- 
ing of  London  charities,  and  he  asked  her  advice  as 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       263 

to  the  most  deserving.  To  what  hospitals  should  he 
be  a  donor  or  to  what  institutions?  The  plan  suc- 
ceeded, for  Mrs.  Hurst  at  once  and  gladly  began  to 
give  him  counsel,  speaking  enthusiastically  of  a  home 
for  girls  in  Shoreditch  of  which  she  was  a  patroness, 
and  of  a  children's  hospital  in  Kennington  which 
she  had  helped  to  found.  Both  were  in  need  of  funds, 
she  said,  and  Ames  immediately  invited  her  to  name 
the  amount  that  he  should  give.  She  hesitated, 
scarcely  daring,  so  she  owned,  to  say  how  much  was 
requisite  to  place  both  the  establishments  in  a  satis- 
factory position.  Ames  pressed  her,  and  she  con- 
fessed at  length  that  the  hospital  needed  three  thou- 
sand pounds  and  the  home  about  fifteen  hundred. 

"  You  will  greatly  oblige  me,"  said  Ames,  smiling, 
"  by  putting  my  name  down  for  these  sums." 

She  thanked  him  warmly.  He  was  the  greatest 
benefactor  they  had  had!  Ah,  what  a  joy  she  would 
experience  when  she  told  the  committees  of  his  gift! 
She  was  so  overcome  with  gratitude  that  Elaine,  per- 
ceiving her  emotion,  interrupted  her  conversation 
with  Moore  and  turned  towards  her. 

"  Mr.  Ames,"  the  mother  said,  "  has  promised  all 
we  want  at  Shoreditch  and  at  Kennington ! " 

Thoughtful  for  a  moment,  Elaine  said  quietly: 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Ames ;  thank  you  very  much 
indeed." 

Moore,  however,  gave  Ames  a  rapid  glance  of 
irritation. 

Pursuing  the  advantage  he  had  gained,  Ames, 
addressing  Elaine,  declared  that  it  gave  him  the 
greatest  satisfaction  to  be  able  to  assist  a  little  in 
that  way,  and  almost  in  the  same  breath  proceeded 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

to  inquire  how  she  had  liked  her  stay  on  the  Riviera 
and  whether  the  wind  had  been  as  cold  as  usual  down 
there,  continuing  on  other  topics  and  endeavouring 
to  bring  her  beneath  the  influence  which  he  knew  he 
exercised  on  women.  Then,  when  he  judged  that  he 
had  produced  a  good  effect,  he  rose. 

To  his  delight,  Mrs.  Hurst  expressed  a  hope  that 
he  would  come  again  to  see  them  soon.  Elaine  gave 
her  hand  with  some  timidity,  but  her  attitude  was 
far  more  cordial  than  it  had  been  on  his  entrance. 

When  he  found  himself  in  the  street  again,  he 
walked  slowly  down  towards  the  park,  thinking  of 
his  visit,  but  he  had  not  gone  far  before  he  was  over- 
taken. Moore,  almost  out  of  breath,  was  at  his  side. 

"  I  should  like  a  few  words  with  you,"  Moore  said, 
in  a  tone  which  he  seemed  to  struggle  to  keep  calm. 

"  Very  good,"  Ames  answered,  stopping  and 
facing  him. 

"  You  have  called  on  the  Hursts  again,"  continued 
Moore,  "  and  no  doubt  you  mean  to  pay  more  visits. 
Now,  I  should  like  to  warn  you  that  if  you  come 
with  any  intentions  regarding  Miss  Hurst,  you  will 
have  me  as  your  rival.  I  should  think  it  would  be 
sufficient  that  I  should  tell  you  this  for  you  to  re- 
linquish any  project  you  may  have  formed  in  this 
direction.  You  have  already  balked  me  once,  and  I 
presume  you  will  not  attempt  the  feat  a  second  time. 
If  I  am  mistaken,  and  you  intend  to  thwart  me,  then 
I  promise  you  that  you  will  have  no  easy  task.  As 
for  my  small  indebtedness  to  you,  the  sum  will  be 
repaid  not  later  than  to-morrow  morning." 

"  It  is  unfortunate,"  Ames  said,  unmoved,  "  that 
we  should  both  take  a  fancy  to  the  same  ladies,  the 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       265 

more  so  as  I  have  no  intention  of  giving  the  assur- 
ance you  demand." 

Moore  started. 

"  Very  well ;  I  know  now  how  to  act.  You  think, 
no  doubt,  your  wealth  can  always  win,  but  wealth  is 
sometimes  powerless  against  a  damaged  reputation." 

"  If  my  reputation's  damaged,"  Ames  said  quickly, 
"  there  must  have  been  a  damager.  I'm  seeking  him 
and  hope  to  find  him  soon.  I  think  that  you,  per- 
haps, might  give  me  his  address." 

Moore  abruptly  broke  away  and  quickly  disap- 
peared down  the  adjacent  street.  Poor  Moore,  Ames 
thought,  how  desperate  his  case  must  be !  Would  it 
be  right  to  come  between  him  and  Elaine?  Right! 
Of  course  it  would,  for  she  deserved  a  better  husband 
and  one  that  would  do  more  good  in  the  world  than 
this  idler  ever  could.  Of  what  use  was  a  man  like 
that  in  the  social  hive  ?  Why,  none !  He  should  seek 
some  gilded  widow  for  a  wife.  He  certainly  did  not 
deserve  Elaine.  It  was  ridiculous  that  he  should 
ask  him  to  desist.  Surely  the  young  girl  might  be 
left  to  make  her  choice. 

He  walked  across  the  park  in  the  cool  July  even- 
ing. Then  he  dined  at  his  club,  where  he  spent  the 
evening  in  a  quiet  corner  making  plans. 

The  next  morning  after  he  had  sent  a  cheque  to 
Mrs.  Hurst  and  was  reading  the  papers,  Barnes 
called  to  see  him  to  ascertain  what  arrangements 
were  to  be  made  in  respect  of  the  voyage  to  the 
Pacific,  about  which  Ames  had  written  him  some 
weeks  before. 

Barnes  walked  into  the  library  with  a  light  step, 
and  Ames  said  after  a  moment's  scrutiny: 


266      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  You've  good  news  to  announce.  I  see  it  in  your 
face." 

"  Yes.     I'm  to  be  married  in  a  week  to  Claire.'5 

"  I  knew  it.     Tell  me  how  it  came  about." 

Then  Barnes  told  of  his  betrothal.  Having  care- 
fully observed  Claire  for  some  time  and  grown  more 
and  more  attached  to  her  as  he  perceived  how  well 
she  bore  out  Ames'  testimony,  he  had  at  length  de- 
cided to  propose,  and  had  been  accepted. 

She  would  not  abandon  her  employment,  for  a  time 
at  least,  and  later  on  she  spoke  of  establishing  her- 
self in  Bond  Street  as  a  Court  modiste. 

"  That  is,"  said  Barnes,  with  a  quiet  smile,  "  if 
she  isn't  too  much  occupied  with  other  duties." 

Ames  frowned  at  this. 

"  Let  her  follow  out  her  plan.  She  will  make  you 
rich  and  yet  preserve  her  charm.  Never  forget  that 
over-population  is  an  evil." 

Barnes  laughed,  and  they  talked  about  the  voyage. 
Was  it  to  be  to  the  Pacific?  If  so,  he  would  have 
to  see  to  charts  and  stores,  as  well  as  to  obtaining  a 
picked  creWo 

Ames  said; 

"  The  day  before  yesterday  it  was  to  be  to  the 
Pacific,  but  now  I  do  not  know.  In  the  Channel  or 
around  the  world." 

Barnes  hesitated. 

"  Around  the  world !  " 

"  Yes,  and  there  will  be  no  women  on  the  ship 
this  time,  and,  Barnes,  I  want  the  name  changed  to 
the  Exe." 

The  master  sighed. 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Ames.     I  shall  prepare  for  all 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      267 

eventualities.  I  should  like  a  fortnight  for  the 
honeymoon,  but  of  course  I  shall  hold  myself  at  your 
disposal.  I  owe  much  to  you  for  having  found  me 
such  a  wife." 

Ames  said: 

"  Hasten  the  wedding  if  you  can  and  take  your 
fifteen  days." 

Barnes  thanked  him.  A  little  later,  as  he  was 
leaving,  he  lingered  for  a  moment  at  the  door,  as  if 
embarrassed.  At  length  he  said : 

"  I  should  like  to  tell  you,  Mr.  Ames,  that  Claire 
and  I  would  be  greatly  honoured  if  you  would  come 
to  our  wedding." 

But  Ames  replied  at  once  with  a  gesture  of  refusal. 

"  No,  Barnes,  that  I  cannot  do.  It  would  upset 
me  to  behold  so  great  a  prize  forever  lost.  Besides 
I  have  a  matrimonial  project  of  my  own  on  hand, 
and  that  takes  up  my  time." 

As  Barnes  appeared  surprised,  he  added : 

"  Oh !  there's  nothing  definite  as  yet.  It's  all  in 
a  distant  future.  Good-bye.  I'll  send  you  a  pres- 
ent soon." 

Barnes  thanked  him  and  withdrew. 

The  captain  had  scarcely  left  when  Giacomo  en- 
tered with  a  letter.  Ames  opened  the  envelope  and 
found  that  it  contained  a  cheque  from  Moore  for 
four  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  in  payment  of  the 
debt.  He  at  once  endorsed  and  crossed  it,  after 
which  he  sent  it  to  Barnes  together  with  a  slip  of 
paper,  on  which  he  wrote: 

"  A  wedding  present  from  the  owner  of  the  Exe." 
Poof!  there  was  an  end  of  that  matter  and  of  a 
youthful  love. 


268      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

The  next  day  Ames  received  a  letter  of  graceful 
thanks  from  Mrs.  Hurst,  but  to  his  surprise  no 
invitation  to  dinner  or  to  lunch,  and  no  renewed 
expression  of  her  hope  that  he  would  call  to  see 
them  soon.  Moore,  no  doubt,  had  been  at  work 
already,  and  perhaps  the  fate  of  Elaine  was  decided. 
Ah,  well,  it  would  be  a  pity  if  that  were  so ;  for  he 
would  never  meet  another  girl  of  equal  worth.  He 
fell  to  wondering  how  soon  he  might  reasonably  call 
again,  and  passed  an  unhappy  afternoon,  going  at 
length  to  the  House  for  dinner  in  a  discontented 
frame  of  mind.  Fortunately  his  inventive  faculty 
was  good  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  had  discov- 
ered a  pretext  to  call  before  the  week  was  at  an 
end. 

In  the  meantime  he  was  busy  putting  things  in 
order  before  the  season  ended,  and  attended  meet- 
ings of  his  political  committee,  to  whom  he  hinted 
that  he  might  need  a  lengthy  holiday  at  no  very 
distant  date.  He  had  decided  to  go  to  Bayswater 
on  the  Friday,  and  on  the  Thursday  afternoon,  after 
Edwards  had  lunched  with  him,  and  he  was  at  work 
with  Sims,  Giacomo  entered  with  the  air  of  mystery 
that  Ames  knew  well.  Discreet  as  ever,  he  had  writ- 
ten on  a  piece  of  paper: 

"  A  lady,  who  gives  the  name  of  Ventner,  desires 
to  see  the  signer  on  important  business.  I  have 
shown  her  to  the  drawing-room." 

"  Good,"  said  Ames,  "  in  half  an  hour."  And  he 
continued  his  correspondence,  apparently  uncon- 
cerned, although  he  was  a  little  exercised  in  mind, 
unable  to  divine  what  pretext  had  brought  Constance 
there  thus  openly. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      269 

At  length,  when  he  had  given  his  instructions  for 
the  last  letter,  he  rose  and  went  upstairs. 

Constance  was  still  waiting.  She  was  little 
changed,  although  her  face  was  thinner.  Ames 
greeted  her  without  much  warmth,  and  silently.  She 
said  after  a  moment's  hesitation : 

"  You  have  not  forgotten  that  a  year  ago  I  al- 
lowed you  to  paint  my  portrait.  Would  you  be  kind 
enough  to  tell  me  what  has  become  of  the  picture, 
which  was  almost  finished  then?  If  it  has  been  de- 
stroyed, so  much  the  better.  If  not,  I  want  an  assur- 
ance that  it  will  be,  as  I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  seen 
in  your  possession." 

Ames  thought  the  pretext  weak.  It  was  evident 
she  had  not  come  for  that,  and  he  must  be  very 
cautious.  He  replied: 

"  The  portrait  is  still  down  there  in  the  studio. 
It's  entirely  at  your  disposal." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  making  a  movement 
towards  the  door.  "  I  shall  send  for  it  to-day." 

Ames  made  no  attempt  to  induce  her  to  remain 
longer;  she  lingered,  however,  of  her  own  accord. 

"  Is  it  possible,"  she  asked,  "  that  after  the  friend- 
ship there  existed  once  between  us,  you  should  re- 
ceive me  in  this  way  ?  " 

"  You  see,"  he  said,  "  that  after  your  severity  at 
Venice,  and  the  want  of  confidence  which  you  have 
just  shown,  I  am  embarrassed." 

"  Would  any  woman  in  my  place,"  she  asked, 
"  have  acted  otherwise?  " 

Thinking  that  he  had  now  to  sustain  a  feminine 
attack,  he  invited  her  to  take  a  seat. 

"  I  no  more  know  how  another  woman  would  have 


270      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

acted  in  your  place  than  another  man  in  mine;  but 
I  am  sure  that  all  that  happened,  being  planned  by 
fate,  was  unavoidable.  I  am,  as  you  perceive,  a 
strong  determinist." 

With  a  sigh,  she  said: 

"You  have  not  changed!"  She  added:  "If  I 
were  in  your  place,  I  should  try,  at  least,  to  react 
against  the  social  fate  which  seems  to  be  awaiting 
you." 

Interested  at  once,  Ames  said : 

"The  social  fate?  Perhaps  you  can  inform  me 
who  its  authors  are." 

"  You  need  not  look  at  me  like  that,  for  I'm  not 
one  of  them.  No,  I  have  opposed  you  politically,  as 
I  always  did,  and  shall,  but  it  is  not  I  who  have 
put  into  circulation  the  reports." 

"  The  reports?     What  are  they?  " 

"  They're  varied,  and  I  would  rather  be  excused 
from  mentioning  them.  At  any  rate,  they  are  suf- 
ficient to  make  your  progress  in  society  extremely 
difficult,  if  not  impossible." 

"  Do  you  believe  them  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Do  you  know  who  spread  them  first  ?  " 

"I  do." 

"  Can  you  deny  it's  Moore  ?  " 

"  I  can't." 

Ames  rose  and  walked  to  the  end  of  the  room. 
Then  he  returned  and  resumed  his  seat. 

"  You  see,"  said  Constance,  "  he's  not  so  harmless 
as  he  looks.  For  many  years  he's  been  suffering  the 
sting  of  poverty,  and  it  has  made  him  inwardly  en- 
raged. When  you  defeated  his  hopes  at  Venice  and 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       271 

carried  away  the  prize,  he  seems  to  have  vowed  ven- 
geance, and  you  know  how  easy  it  is  for  a  man  like 
him  to  damage  by  insinuation,  without  ever  making 
a  specific  charge,  leaving  it  to  the  scandal  lovers  to 
complete  the  mischief  which  they've  done.  And  now 
your  only  chances  are  the  agency  of  time  (say, 
twenty  years),  or  of  someone  of  position  who  will 
take  up  your  cause." 

Ames  saw  that  she  was  offering  the  protection  of 
her  influence  and  rank,  and  he  knew  that  the  offer 
was  not  without  value.  He  knew  also  that  if  he 
accepted  it  she  would  require  a  reward  which  he  was 
not  disposed  to  pay,  and  suddenly  his  old  rancour 
against  the  class  that  had  despised  him  formerly 
revived. 

"  This,"  he  said,  "  is  your  society  ?  " 

But  she  prevented  him  from  saying  more. 

"  Oh !  don't  sneer  at  society,  for  if  you  do,  not 
even  your  wealth  will  save  you  from  a  fall,  and  woe 
to  the  man  who's  ostracised." 

"  I'm  sorry  I  can't  agree  with  you,"  he  said.  "  The 
more  I  see  of  your  society,  the  more  I  am  convinced 
that  wealth,  or  money,  if  you  like  it  better,  can 
break  down  all  its  barriers,  all  its  rules.  It  was 
because  I  learnt  that  lesson  well  in  early  life  that  I 
grew  mercenary.  A  rich  man  triumphs  over  your 
society ;  a  poor  man  has  to  grovel  to  it,  or  suffer 
its  derision  and  contempt.  Do  you  think  that  I  am 
troubled  by  these  fictions?  I  shall  know  how  to 
defend  myself  alone." 

"  I  like  your  courage,"  she  said  thoughtfully.  "  I 
always  liked  you  for  your  qualities,  and,  in  spite  of 
your  treatment  of  me?  I  sincerely  trust  you  won't  be 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

made  a  victim.  I,  too,  have  lately  felt  the  bitterness 
of  straitened  means,  and  although  I  have  been  well 
supported  by  my  friends,  I  have  realised  how  inevi- 
tably one  gets  left  behind  when  poor.  Ah!  I  have 
passed  through  many  trials  since  we  parted  on  the 
station  over  there  at  Venice;  but  the  crudest  of  all 
was  your  abandonment." 

"  Really,"  said  Ames,  "  I  must  protest.  That  is 
not  the  term  to  use.  Abandonment  suggests  associa- 
tion, and  you  know  well  that  there  was  nothing  of 
the  sort  between  us." 

"  How  you  quarrel  about  words !  And  how  un- 
gracious you  are  still  towards  me!  I  have  had  to 
repress  my  pride  to  speak  as  I  have  spoken,  and  I 
meet  with  nothing  but  unkindness." 

She  looked  discouraged,  and  for  a  moment  he  felt 
sorry  for  her. 

"  Well,  well,"  he  said  at  length,  "  let  us  not  quarr»l 
about  anything.  It  was  good  of  you  to  warn  me 
of  the  danger  to  which  you  thought  I  was  exposed, 
and  after  the  holidays,  if  you  will  allow  me,  I  will 
come  and  see  you." 

Her  face  brightened.  "  After  the  holidays !  Why 
not  before,  when  you  know  that  you  will  be  so  wel- 
come." 

"You  see,"  continued  Ames,  already  regretting 
his  imprudence,  "  I'm  very  busy.  Politics  and  jour- 
nalism claim  me.  At  the  season's  end  there's  much 
to  attend  to,  I  assure  you." 

"  Where  are  you  going  in  the  yacht  this  year  ?  " 

"  To  Honolulu  or  to  France,  if  not  around  the 
world." 

"Alone?" 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      273 

"  Alone." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  me  for  staying  here  so 
long?  " 

"  I  take  it  as  a  special  mark  of  your  esteem." 

"  And  I  consider  it  a  sign  of  my  infatuation." 

He  reflected  for  a  moment.  It  must  be  as  she 
said  and  she  was  as  a  moth  that  hovered  round  the 
combination  of  his  wealth  and  person.  If  she  was 
reasonable,  he  might  be  able  to  advance  her  interests, 
but  if  she  had  the  fixed  idea  of  marriage  with  him, 
then  he  could  do  nothing  for  her.  As  he  did  not 
answer  her  last  remark,  she  seemed  to  take  his  silence 
as  a  condemnation,  and  she  rose. 

"  I  shall  stay  no  longer.  If  you  have  the  least 
good  feeling  you  will  come  to  see  me  soon.  Good- 
bye." 

Really,  he  thought,  when  she  was  gone,  it  was  a 
pity  to  see  so  nice  a  woman  reduced  to  such  sad 
straits.  Why  hadn't  she  found  a  man  to  wed  her? 
Doubtless  she  soon  would,  and  with  this  reflection  he 
returned  to  work. 

On  the  Friday  afternoon,  the  day,  he  remembered, 
when  the  Hursts  were  usually  at  home,  he  drove  to 
Bayswater.  As  he  rang  the  bell  he  had  a  slight 
misgiving,  which  the  elderly  maid  who  opened  the 
door  confirmed.  Mrs.  and  Miss  Hurst,  she  said,  had 
left  for  Dieppe  the  day  before. 

Greatly  disappointed,  Ames  drove  home  at  once. 

"  Giacomo,  pack  my  things.  We  leave  for  Dieppe 
to-night." 

At  daybreak  the  next  morning  Ames  and  his  man 
stood  on  the  deck  of  the  steamer  watching  her  en- 
trance into  harbour.  The  town,  still  plunged  in 


274       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

half  obscurity,  looked  calm  and  peaceful,  and  more 
like  a  maritime  port  than  the  fashionable  resort 
which  it  becomes  in  the  summer  months.  The  sky 
was  clear  and  the  air  was  fresh,  and  Ames  felt  in- 
vigorated and  expectant.  Why  had  he  come  here? 
Why  had  he  thus  pursued  Elaine  when  he  need  not 
have  sought  a  wife  again  so  soon?  When,  in  spite 
of  all  that  Constance  said  about  the  slanderers,  he 
knew  that,  as  Mair  had  once  remarked,  he  had  but 
the  embarrassment  of  choice?  Why?  Because 
Elaine  possessed  the  qualities  which  alone  could  make 
the  marriage  state  acceptable,  according  to  his  view, 
and  because  Elaines  were  rare.  After  landing,  he 
drove  to  the  hotel  on  the  sea  front,  which  he  had 
heard  recommended  as  the  best,  and  there  took  rooms. 
In  London  he  had  not  liked  to  ask  the  servants  where 
the  Hursts  were  staying,  knowing  well  that  in  a 
place  like  Dieppe  the  visitors  were  to  be  met  each 
day  on  the  promenades. 

After  resting  a  few  hours  he  quitted  the  hotel 
and  took  a  stroll  upon  the  front.  It  was  the  bath- 
ing hour,  and  there  was  the  usual  scene  of  Gallic  sea- 
side life,  a  little  marred  by  the  shingly  nature  of 
the  beach.  Ames  remained  upon  the  walk  above, 
watching  for  a  moment,  not  without  some  interest, 
the  clever  swimming  of  two  boys  who  were  playing 
ball  upon  the  water.  Suddenly,  as  he  resumed  his 
stroll,  he  perceived  two  ladies  and  a  gentleman  com- 
ing in  his  direction,  whom  he  quickly  recognised  as 
the  Hursts  and  Moore.  He  was  not  surprised,  for 
he  had  anticipated  this  move  on  the  part  of  Moore. 
Well,  that  made  the  enterprise  more  strenuous!  As 
soon  as  the  Hursts  perceived  him,  their  faces  ex- 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       275 

pressed  extreme  surprise,  while  Moore's  became  con- 
gested. Raising  his  hat  with  great  composure,  Ames 
exclaimed : 

"  How  pleased  I  am  to  meet  you  here !  "  and  then, 
turning  to  Moore,  he  said  in  a  tone  of  unconcern: 
"  Good-morning,  Moore." 

Mrs.  Hurst  spoke  to  him  in  a  tone  that,  although 
cordial,  was  almost  grave,  and  Elaine  appeared  per- 
plexed. They  talked  of  Dieppe  and  its  attractions, 
and  Mrs.  Hurst  explained  that  they  had  decided, 
somewhat  hurriedly,  to  come  there,  as  the  weather 
had  become  so  hot  in  town,  and  her  daughter  had 
been  suffering.  Elaine,  however,  declared  that  she 
had  only  been  a  little  tired  and  was  already  quite 
restored. 

During  this  conversation  Moore  had  maintained  a 
rigid  silence,  and  Ames  fully  realised  how  strained 
the  situation  must  become.  Determined,  however,  to 
face  it  boldly  he  asked  Elaine  if  they  were  going 
townwards,  and  as  she  replied  that  they  were  just 
returning  to  their  hotel,  he  said: 

"  And  so  am  I  to  mine.  If  you  will  allow  me,  I 
will  accompany  you."  And  as  the  Hursts  could  not 
refuse  this  offer,  they  started  off  together.  Ames 
was  careful  to  preserve  the  place  he  had  secured  at 
Elaine's  side  and  to  keep  up  a  continued  conversa- 
tion, while  Moore  was  forced  to  place  himself  upon 
the  other  flank  at  the  other  side  of  Mrs.  Hurst. 
The  walk,  however,  was  a  short  one.  When  they 
reached  the  door  of  Ames'  hotel  the  ladies  stopped 
and  were  taking  leave,  when  Ames  said: 

"  Oh !  but  I  live  here,  too." 

Elaine    started   slightly    as   she  heard   this,   and 


276       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

Moore  gave  Ames  a  glance  of  almost  open  enmity. 
Then  the  Hursts  said  au  revoir  to  Moore  and  en- 
tered, followed  at  once  by  Ames,  who  thought  that 
fortune  was  upon  his  side  that  morning. 

It  was  the  hour  of  the  midday  breakfast,  and  as 
they  were  somewhat  late  the  ladies  declared  that  they 
would  take  their  seats  in  the  dining-room  forthwith. 
Still  Ames  followed,  and  as  the  maitre  d'hotel  showed 
them  to  their  side  table,  he  lingered  a  moment  with 
them  until  Mrs.  Hurst,  unable  to  do  otherwise,  sug- 
gested that  he  should  sit  with  them,  as  he  was  alone. 
Ames  readily  complied,  congratulating  himself 
greatly  on  having  gained  a  good  strategical  posi- 
tion. 

Throughout  the  meal  he  was  careful  to  maintain 
a  calm  and  dignified  demeanour,  befitting  a  man  of 
serious  disposition,  while  at  the  same  time  he  did 
his  best  to  interest  Elaine,  who,  to  his  surprise,  was 
so  well  versed  in  politics  that  he  was  able  to  touch 
upon  that  topic  with  advantage.  Elaine  spoke 
clearly,  without  hesitation,  and  Ames  perceived  with 
satisfaction  that  she  reasoned  well. 

"  What  strikes  me  always,"  she  said  presently,  "  is 
the  waste  of  time  in  Parliament.  While  you  are 
quarrelling  over  party  trifles,  really  important  ques- 
tions, which  affect  the  welfare  of  the  people,  are 
neglected  or  enormously  delayed.  Cannot  politicians 
realise  what  their  duty  is  ?  " 

"  If  I  may  be  permitted  to  allude  to  myself," 
Ames  said,  "  I  should  like  to  say  that  I  have  hitherto 
done  what  little  I  could  for  the  people's  good." 

"  I  know,"  she  acquiesced,  without,  however,  de- 
parting from  her  reserve,  "  for  I  remember  reading 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       277 

your  last  speech.  Do  you  intend  to  continue  taking 
up  such  questions  ?  " 

"  Most  certainly,  when  opportunities  present  them- 
selves. But  Parliament  is  a  place  where  the  best 
intentions  are  too  often  balked." 

"  That   I  can  quite  well  understand." 

"  But  in  the  end,  there  is  no  doubt  that  justice 
must  prevail,  just  as  in  the  life  of  the  world  truth 
must  ultimately  triumph  over  falsity  and  calumny." 

He  had  launched  this  dictum  with  deliberate  de- 
sign. It  was  time  he  took  up  arms  against  the  lies 
which  had  been  spread. 

There  was  a  silence  for  some  moments;  both  the 
mother  and  the  daughter  looked  down  at  their  plates. 
Ames  added: 

"  And  I  speak  feelingly,  for  it  has  been  my  lot  to 
be  assailed  by  calumny.  For  some  time  I  disregarded 
it ;  but  now  I  have  decided  to  defend  myself.  Pardon 
me  from  troubling  you  with  this." 

He  looked  so  earnest  and  so  wronged  that  the 
Hursts  seemed  inclined  to  be  sympathetic.  Mrs. 
Hurst  said  at  length: 

"  For  my  part,  as  far  as  I  am  able,  I  make  a 
rule  of  turning  a  deaf  ear  to  calumny,  and  I  am 
always  sorry  when  I  meet  with  it." 

"  That,"  said  Ames,  "  is  the  attitude  I  take  my- 
self. But  let  us  talk  no  more  of  such  shortcomings 
on  this  delightful  morning." 

And  he  proceeded  to  relate  to  them  an  incident 
that  had  occurred  a  few  days  previously  at  West- 
'minster.  This  amused  them  and  the  luncheon  ended 
with  a  greater  cordiality  than  had  been  shown  at 
first. 


278      THE  METHODS  OE  MR.  AMES 

Nevertheless,  when  they  rose  from  the  table,  the 
ladies  said,  "  Good-bye  for  the  present,"  without  any 
mention  of  their  plans  for  the  afternoon,  and  Ames, 
a  little  disconcerted,  repaired  to  the  smoking-room, 
where  an  elderly  Frenchman,  with  an  air  of  opulence, 
was  talking  somewhat  loudly  to  a  younger  man,  ap- 
parently untroubled  by  the  presence  of  others  in 
the  room.  As  Ames  was  seated  near  them,  he  could 
not  help,  while  smoking  a  cigarette,  overhearing 
their  conversation.  The  elder  of  the  two  was  say- 
ing: 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  I  am  beginning  to  be  tired  of 
my  island.  It's  a  perfect  paradise,  and  as  you  know, 
while  there,  I'm  king ;  but  the  voyage  takes  too  long, 
and  really  nothing  compensates  for  the  loss  of  Paris." 

The  younger  asked : 

"  Then  do  you  think  of  selling  it?  " 

The  answer  was: 

"Well,  yes,  if  I  can  find  a  purchaser." 

They  talked  of  other  things,  but  Ames'  interest 
had  been  aroused  and  he  determined  to  know  more 
about  this  island.  The  idea  of  such  a  place  as  this 
to  seek  when  tired  of  the  life  at  home  was  certainly 
seductive.  After  finishing  his  cigarette  he  went  into 
the  hall,  and  stayed  there  for  some  time,  wondering 
what  he  should  do  to  advance  his  aims.  The  owner 
of  the  island  passed  him  presently  and  he  inquired  of 
the  hall  porter  who  that  gentleman  might  be.  The 
man  replied  at  once: 

"  That's  Monsieur  Roux,  the  coffee  king." 

Deciding  that  he  would  seek  an  opportunity  to 
speak  to  Roux,  Ames  lingered  in  the  hall  a  little 
longer,  but  at  length,  having  told  himself  that  if  the 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      279 

Hursts  should  find  him  there  they  might  think  him 
too  importunate,  he  took  his  hat  and  left.  He  would 
no  doubt  meet  his  friends  again. 

Strolling  round  the  town,  he  amused  himself  as 
best  he  could  by  looking  at  the  shops  and  at  the 
crowds  of  visitors  who  thronged  the  streets.  Then 
he  walked  towards  the  Casino,  where  a  concert  was 
to  be  held  that  afternoon.  As  he  was  passing  a  hotel 
of  somewhat  modest  aspect,  Moore  was  in  the  act 
of  leaving  it. 

"  I  wish  to  speak  to  you,"  Moore  said  at  once. 

"  Very  good,"  said  Ames,  and  they  moved  away 
from  the  hotel  door  to  the  sea  front,  which  was  only 
a  few  hundred  yards  lower  down  the  street.  Then 
Moore  commenced: 

"  In  spite  of  what  I  told  you  not  a  week  ago,  you 
have  followed  the  Hursts  here." 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Ames,  "  that  you  have 
done  the  same." 

Without  noticing  this  remark,  Moore  continued: 

"  If  you  think  that  you  are  going  to  triumph,  as 
you  did  before,  you're  wrong,  for  I'm  prepared  to 
stop  at  nothing  to  prevent  you." 

"A  threat?"  Ames  asked. 

"  You  may  interpret  it  in  whatever  way  you 
please." 

"  After  slander,  intimidation.  You're  moving  fast, 
my  friend,  upon  a  dangerous  road." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  slander?" 

"  Do  you  imagine  that  I  do  not  know  who  is  the 
leader  of  the  campaign  of  calumny  against  me  ?  " 

"  I  resent  such  an  insinuation." 

"  Don't.    My  sources  of  information  are  too  good. 


280      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

It  is,  as  I  said  before,  unfortunate  that  we  should 
both  have  thought  of  the  same  lady ;  but  I  am  will- 
ing to  abide  by  the  choice  she  makes.  If  you  are  not, 
then  we  shall  have  to  deal  with  you  in  the  way  most 
suited  to  people  of  your  tendencies.  I  presume  you 
do  not  mean  to  exhibit  them  before  her." 

"  No.     But  fortunately  we're  in  France." 

"  Yes,  the  land  of  *  satisfactions.*  Go  home  and 
cool  your  head,  Moore,  you're  in  a  bad  condition." 

Exasperated  by  this  counsel,  Moore  said: 

"  I  advise  you  to  take  care.  This  business  may 
be  a  bit  more  serious  than  you  appear  to  think." 

"  I  don't  ignore  its  gravity.  Before  I  came  I  was 
prepared  for  it.  But  what  would  you  have?  One 
must  take  life  as  it  is." 

Saying  this,  he  moved  away  from  Moore,  who 
stood  some  time  looking  after  him. 

Yes,  thought  Ames,  as  he  walked  along  the  front, 
the  situation  was  by  no  means  an  enchanting  one. 
This  heated  fool  might  be  capable  of  much,  and 
might  spoil  both  their  chances.  Truly,  this  time  he 
had  need  of  all  his  skill. 

When  he  reached  the  gate  of  the  Casino,  moved 
by  a  sudden  inspiration,  he  took  a  ticket  and  went 
into  the  concert-room.  He  had  only  been  there  a 
few  minutes  when  Elaine  and  her  mother  entered, 
taking  a  seat  immediately  in  front  of  him,  so  that 
he  was  able  to  exchange  a  few  words  with  them  before 
the  beginning  of  the  performance  and  to  enjoy  the 
sight  of  Elaine  while  it  was  taking  place.  Yes,  truly 
even  to  the  outward  eye,  she  was  eminently  fitted  for 
the  post  he  wished  to  offer  her. 

When  the  concert  was  over,  he  joined  the  ladies 


THE  METHODS  OE  MR.  AMES      281 

and  walked  with  them  on  the  promenade.  Would 
they  come  for  a  country  drive  the  next  day?  he 
asked.  He  had  been  told  that  the  country  was  worth 
seeing,  and  it  would  make  a  change  from  the  marine 
view.  Mrs.  Hurst  accepted  readily.  Elaine,  how- 
ever, appeared  somewhat  reluctant,  although  she  was 
of  course  obliged  to  acquiesce  in  the  arrangement. 
They  soon  returned  to  their  hotel,  and  saying  they 
would  meet  at  dinner,  retired  to  their  rooms. 

A  few  hours  later,  as  Ames  was  dressing,  he  said  to 
Giacomo : 

"  In  case  I  should,  by  any  chance,  be  shot  or, 
otherwise  destroyed  while  here,  you'll  take  me  to 
Kingslake  as  soon  as  possible." 

Giacomo,  who  was  in  the  act  of  folding  a  pair  of 
trousers,  stopped  and  raised  his  hands  in  mute  as- 
tonishment. 

"  Yes,"  continued  Ames ;  "  I  have  a  rival  here  for 
the  hand  of  a  young  lady,  and  one  can't  be  quite 
sure  what  he'll  do." 

"  I  know  the  gentleman,"  said  Giacomo,  with  a 
look  of  quick  intelligence.  "  I  saw  him  on  the  cliffs 
this  afternoon.  He  was  walking  fast  and  talking 
to  himself." 

"  Poor  man,"  said  Ames,  "  he  takes  it  tragically ! " 
And  for  a  moment  he  felt  sorry  for  his  rival  whose 
mental  equilibrium,  it  really  seemed,  was  seriously; 
disturbed.  He  did  not  think  the  danger  which  he 
ran  was  great,  because  he  was  seldom  taken  unawares, 
but  it  was  just  as  well  to  look  ahead.  As  Marcus 
Aurelius  had  once  said,  the  life  of  any  man  was  at 
the  mercy  of  his  slave. 

When  the  dinner-bell  sounded  Ames  went  down  to 


282      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

the  hall.  There  he  found  the  Hursts  and  Moore, 
who  had  been  asked  to  dine  with  them.  Ames,  whose 
cover  was  laid  at  the  Hursts'  table,  took  his  seat 
with  them,  and  they  made,  as  he  said,  a  square. 
Moore  spoke  much  and  endeavoured  to  appear  in  the 
highest  spirits,  but  it  was  evident  to  Ames  that  his 
exuberance  was  quite  fictitious.  For  the  rest,  he  was 
by  no  means  a  good  conversationalist,  and  suffered  in 
comparison  with  Ames,  who  now  and  then  forced 
Elaine's  approval  by  the  cogency  and  truth  of  his 
remarks.  Towards  the  end  of  the  meal,  Mrs.  Hurst, 
to  Ames'  satisfaction,  found  an  opportunity  to  say, 
in  allusion  to  a  scandalous  report  which  had  ap- 
peared in  the  morning's  paper  as  to  a  statesman,  that 
she  was  never  influenced  by  rumours  of  that  kind, 
which,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  proved  to  be  un- 
founded. 

Ames  glanced  at  Moore  as  she  said  this,  but  Moore 
looked  down.  There  was  no  doubt,  Ames  thought, 
that  his  cause  was  now.  in  the  ascendant. 

After  dinner  the  ladies,  who  did  not  go  to  the 
Casino  in  the  evening,  withdrew  to  the  drawing-room. 
They  were  followed  by  Moore,  but  Ames  excused 
himself,  as  a  packet  of  letters  had  just  arrived  for 
him  from  London. 

There  was  a  letter  from  Sims,  and  he  read  it  in 
the  hall.  His  secretary  informed  him  that  he  now 
possessed  a  clue  to  the  reports.  In  regard  to  the 
"  secret  room,"  he  had  ascertained  that  the  story 
had  been  spread  by  the  Orientals  who  had  danced 
that  night  for  Ada's  delectation.  Distorted  and 
magnified  it  had  circulated  in  a  shady  set,  whence 
had  emanated,  no  doubt,  the  letter  of  blackmail.  For 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  fAMES       283 

all  the  other  legends,  one  individual  was  primarily 
responsible.  It  was  he  who,  in  clubs  where  he  met 
editors,  at  houses  where  he  came  in  contact  with  po- 
litical opponents,  had  persistently  discredited  his 
former  friend.  That  man  was  Stephen  Moore.  He, 
Sims,  had  learnt  all  this  from  a  friend  of  his,  the 
secretary  of  a  Tory  lord;  Ames  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders, opened  a  few  more  letters,  and  then  went  into 
the  small  fumoir,  where  he  discovered  Roux  smoking 
a  long  cigar.  Beginning  a  conversation  with  him 
about  Dieppe,  he  told  him  that  he  had  heard  him 
speak,  the  previous  day,  about  an  island  which  was, 
he  understood,  for  sale.  At  the  same  time,  he  gave 
his  card  to  the  coffee  magnate  and  asked  for  some 
particulars.  Roux  willingly  described  the  property 
and  its  locality.  It  was  a  fertile,  healthful  island  of 
some  twenty  miles  from  end  to  end,  and  some  fifteen 
miles  from  side  to  side.  There  was  a  population  of 
about  a  thousand,  peaceful  and  industrious.  The 
owner  of  it  was,  to  a  large  extent,  an  independent 
sovereign.  It  was  a  happy  and  peaceful  spot.  The 
price  was  two  million  francs. 
Ames  said: 

"  I  shall  go  to  see  it  as  soon  as  I  have  time." 
Returning  to  the  drawing-room,  a  long  room  pro- 
fusely gilded  and  lighted  brilliantly,  he  crossed  it 
to  the  place  where  the  Hursts  were  sitting,  followed 
by  the  glances  of  many  English  visitors  who  had 
already  learnt  his  name.  Mrs.  Hurst  was  talking  to 
an  old  French  lady  and  Moore  was  speaking  to 
Elaine.  From  the  expression  of  the  tatter's  face, 
Ames  judged  that  whatever  Moore  had  said  had  not 
been  well  received,  and  this  view  was  confirmed  when 


284       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

she  made  room  for  him  on  the  sofa  at  her  side,  some- 
what engagingly.  Perceiving  this,  Moore  suddenly 
became  silent,  but  sat  with  his  arms  crossed  and  his 
eyes  fixed  on  Ames,  who  related  his  interview  with 
Roux,  asking  Elaine  what  she  thought  of  his  acquir- 
ing the  island  as  a  place  where  one  might  rest  for  a 
period  each  year  and  obtain  a  respite  from  the  evils 
of  civilisation.  Elaine  thought  that  the  plan  was 
good,  but  doubted  whether  the  evils  he  alluded  to 
might  not  be  replaced  by  others  equally  distressful. 

**  You  are  right,"  said  Ames,  "  for  throughout 
history  men  have  made  afflictions  for  themselves,  and 
there  is  not  much  reason  to  suppose  that  a  retro- 
grade society  would  be  better  than  our  own.  But 
one  might  imagine  that  it  was,  and  that  would  be 
consoling.  In  any  case  one  might  experiment." 

"  That,  certainly,"  Elaine  said,  "  would  be  inter- 
esting, and  I  almost  wish  that  I  had  such  experiments 
to  make  myself." 

"  If  I  acquire  the  island,  I  hope  that  you  will  come 
and  make  them." 

Elaine  smiled  and  they  talked  of  other  things. 
Moore  answered  her  when  she  addressed  him,  but 
refrained  from  fresh  remarks  as  though  he  wished, 
by  his  attitude,  to  show  his  strong  distaste  of  Ames' 
society.  The  party,  however,  broke  up  at  ten  and 
Ames  retired  to  his  room. 

The  next  day  after  breakfast,  a  landau  drew  up  at 
the  hotel  door,  and  presently  the  Hursts  and  Ames 
drove  off  in  it.  As  they  were  passing  through  the 
town,  Mrs.  Hurst  said : 

"  Mr.  Moore  is  not  with  us  this  afternoon.  Might 
I  ask  if  you  are  no  longer  friends  ?  " 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       285 

Ames'  face  grew  grave. 

"  No,"  he  answered,  "  we  are  no  longer  friends." 
There  was  a  silence.  The  mother  and  daughter  ex- 
changed glances.  Ames  said  at  length :  "  Of  his  be- 
haviour towards  me  I  prefer  to  say  nothing.  For 
the  rest,  I  believe  he's  in  ill  health." 

"  He  certainly  seemed  strange  at  dinner,"  Mrs. 
Hurst  said.  "  I  conjectured  something  was  amiss 
last  night  as  you  never  appeared  to  address  each 
other." 

No  more  was  said  upon  the  subject,  but  there  was 
an  evident  embarrassment  which  somewhat  wore  off, 
however,  under  the  influence  of  the  country  scenes. 
Elaine  confessed  that  she  was  fond  of  the  sight  of 
the  fields  and  meadows,  and  her  pleasure  was  indeed 
apparent. 

At  length  they  reached  the  village  which  was  to 
be  the  limit  of  the  drive,  and  after  visiting  the  church, 
Mrs.  Hurst  returned  to  the  carriage,  while  Elaine 
and  Ames  ascended  an  eminence  whence  a  view  of 
the  adjacent  country  was  to  be  obtained. 

This,  Ames  thought,  was  an  opportunity  he  must 
not  lose.  Accordingly,  when  they  had  reached  the 
summit  and  had  looked  around,  he  said: 

"  Miss  Hurst,  I'm  going  to  ask  you  a  question, 
on  your  answer  to  which  my  happiness  depends. 
Will  you — will  you  be  my  wife?  " 

Elaine  started  as  though  she  had  been  struck. 

"Mr.  Ames!  Did  you  not  know  that  I  had  no 
intention " 

"  Of  marrying?  I  guessed  it.  But  that  did  not 
deter  me,  for  I  am  convinced  that  if  you  persevered 
in  that  intention  you  would  defeat  more  hopes  than 


286       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

you  would  have  the  heart  to  crush.  We  need  com- 
panions in  this  life,  believe  me.  When  I  met  you  a 
year  ago,  you  seemed  to  me  upon  a  higher  plane  than 
I  judged  myself  to  be,  or  I  would  have  said  then 
what  I  am  saying  now,  for  from  the  first  I  recognised 
your  qualities.  But  since  that  time  I  have  found 
that  my  aims  in  life  most  surely  coincide  with  yours, 
and  I  have  thought  that  I  might  venture  to  offer 
myself  to  you  as  a  sincere  co-operator  and  a  devoted 
husband.  What  is  there  that  we  might  not  accom- 
plish, if  united,  for  the  good  of  others?  I  en- 
treat you  to  reflect  before  you  give  me  your  deci- 
sion." 

She  looked  from  one  side  to  the  other,  as  though 
she  wanted  to  escape,  but  at  length  she  said : 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  cannot  give  the  answer  you 
desire.  I  will  only  promise  to  reflect,  but  even  now 
I  realise  that  my  answer  must  be  no." 

Ames  said: 

"  If  there  is  any  other  obstacle  than  that  which 
I  surmised,  I  beg  of  you  to  tell  me  what  it  is,  so  that 
I  may  at  least  be  able  to  combat  it." 

"  No,  there  is  no  other  that  is  serious.  Although 
I  have  not  known  you  long,  I  am  convinced  that  you 
are  worthy  of  esteem." 

Ames  was  disappointed.  He  would  rather  have 
had  to  oppose  the  rumours  than  this  dislike  to 
marriage. 

"  At  least,"  he  said  after  a  pause,  "  will  you  not 
tell  me  if  my  chances  are  as  great  as  Moore's  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Moore  now  knows  that  he  has  none." 

Ames  perceived  a  slight  encouragement  in  this 
reply.  Evidently  Moore  had  tried  his  fortune  that 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES       287 

very  morning  and  had  failed.  Doubtless  he  had  been 
told  so  on  the  spot. 

Nevertheless  Ames  was  puzzled  and  the  situation 
was  embarrassing.  He  said  as  a  last  venture: 

"  It  may  be  that  you  think  my  present  act  is  pre- 
mature, considering  how  recent  is  the  loss  I  have 
sustained." 

"  I  confess  that  I  had  some  such  feeling." 

"  My  excuse  is  this.  I  feared  that  if  I  hesitated 
I  might  be  forestalled." 

He  felt  almost  inclined  to  burst  forth  into  entreaty 
in  the  style  which  women  were  supposed  to  like.  But 
he  refrained  because  he  judged  that,  with  Elaine, 
such  methods  would  have  no  effect.  This  resistance 
on  her  part  proved  her  worth  and  intensified  his  wish 
to  wed  her,  since  there  were  few  women  in  the  present 
day  who  would  have  evinced  it,  considering  his  wealth. 
At  the  same  time,  it  was  annoying,  and  might  lead  to 
complications.  More  than  ever  he  was  convinced 
that  she  was  of  sterling  value,  a  woman  upon  whose 
good  behaviour  he  could  count.  But  she  had  notions 
in  her  head  about  celibacy  and  it  was  not  impossible 
they  might  prevail  against  the  racial  spirit  after  all. 

As  she  made  no  reply  to  his  explanation  he  said: 

"  Let  us  talk  no  more  of  this  to-day,  but  allow 
me  to  hope  that  you  will  try  to  think  of  me  as 
worthy  of  your  trust." 

They  descended  the  hill  again  and  rejoined  Mrs. 
Hurst  who  was  wondering  what  had  kept  them  so 
long  up  there,  and  Ames  informed  her  that  they  had 
been  seeing  vistas  of  surpassing  charm. 

They  returned  to  Dieppe,  where  Ames  took  leave 
of  the  ladies  for  the  day  upon  arrival  at  the  hotel,  as 


288       THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

he  would,  he  said,  be  dining  out  that  night.  Then  he 
retired  to  his  room. 

Giacomo  followed  him. 

*'  Signor !  I  was  in  the  town  this  afternoon  and 
I  saw  him  enter  the  shop  of  an  armourer.  I  could 
not  see  what  he  bought,  but  when  he  came  out  he 
was  carrying  a  little  box.  Thank  God!  the  signer 
has  returned  in  safety." 

Ames  grew  serious.  What  was  this  man  about  to 
do?  To  suppress  himself  or  him?  Either  would 
be  disagreeable  and  something  must  be  done  to  stop 
him. 

Ames  took  an  extreme  decision.  He  left  his  room, 
and  descended  the  stairs  again.  Then  he  made  his 
way  to  Moore's  hotel  and  inquired  at  the  office  if 
Moore  was  in.  The  proprietor  despatched  a  waiter 
to  ascertain.  Some  time  elapsed  before  the  man 
returned.  Then  he  came  and  whispered  something 
to  the  proprietor.  The  latter,  who  had  been  busy 
with  his  accounts,  rose  from  his  chair  at  once  and 
approaching  Ames  said  that  he  feared  Mr.  Moore 
was  ill. 

"  In  that  case,"  said  Ames,  "  as  I  am  his  friend, 
I  will  go  to  see  him.  Please  send  for  the  nearest 
doctor." 

The  proprietor  bowed  and,  after  doing  as  he  had 
been  requested,  accompanied  Ames  upstairs. 

In  a  small  room  on  the  third  floor,  which  the  pro- 
prietor unlocked,  they  found  Moore  lying,  half  un- 
dressed, upon  his  bed,  with  his  head  between  two 
pillows,  the  upper  one  of  which  he  was  holding  down. 
The  floor  was  strewn  with  clothes  and  the  mirror  on 
the  mantel  had  been  badly  broken.  On  the  dressing- 


THE    METHODS    OF    MR.    AMES     289 

table  was  a  revolver.  Moore  was  groaning,  and  as 
they  had  entered  noiselessly  he  had  not  heard 
them. 

Ames  walked  to  the  end  of  the  room,  seized  the 
weapon  and  unloaded  its  five  chambers,  while  the 
hotel-keeper  examined  his  broken  glass.  In  the  mean- 
time Moore's  legs  moved  convulsively  and  his  right 
hand  clutched  the  pillow  with  a  nervous  grip.  Ames 
quickly  realised  the  situation.  Moore  was  going 
through  a  crisis.  His  nerves  had  broken  down 
before  he  had  brought  himself  to  use  the  arm  either 
against  himself  or  against  another  and  he  was  now 
plunged  in  an  acute  depression  which  had  not  yet 
reached  the  suicidal  stage.  He  was  clinging  to  life 
although  he  was  very  weary  of  its  conditions  and  the 
result  was  a  conflict  which  must  sorely  strain  the 
brain  and  nerves.  Suddenly  Moore  threw  away 
the  pillow  and  started  up,  but  when  he  saw  Ames 
and  the  proprietor  standing  near  him,  he  sank 
again  upon  the  bed. 

"  You  here ! "  he  muttered,  and  closed  his  eyes 
again. 

Ames  judged  it  better  not  to  speak  to  him.  He 
made  a  sign  to  the  proprietor  to  that  effect  and  they 
stood  for  some  time  waiting  the  arrival  of  the  doctor. 

When  the  latter  came,  the  case  was  explained  to 
him,  for  Moore  refused  to  speak,  and  he  soon  con- 
firmed Ames'  conclusions.  In  the  corridor,  he  told 
Ames  that  there  was  a  complete  breakdown.  The 
excitement  was  excessive  and  it  would  be  well  that 
Moore  should  have  someone  with  him  for  the  next 
few  days,  after  which  he  might  go  to  recuperate  in 
Switzerland.  There  was  no  doubt  that  he  was  and 


290      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

had  long  been  neurasthenic.  But  the  crisis  was  al- 
ready passed. 

"  You  will  find  that  for  the  present  his  mind  is 
in  abeyance." 

The  doctor  left  after  promising  to  send  sedatives 
and  Ames  arranged  with  the  proprietor  for  an  atten- 
dant who  would  discreetly  watch  the  patient.  Be- 
fore he  left,  he  stood  over  Moore  a  moment,  saying : 

"  Remember,  Moore,  that  I'm  your  friend.  We're 
friends  now  in  misfortune." 

Moore  looked  up  a  moment  when  he  heard  this, 
but  immediately  he  dropped  his  head  again  upon  the 
pillow,  heaving  a  deep  sigh.  Then  Ames  left,  after 
placing  the  revolver  in  the  hands  of  the  proprietor. 

There  was  an  end  of  that  matter.  Moore  could 
be  dealt  with  now  and,  although  he  did  not  love  him, 
he  knew  that  a  man  in  his  state  could  not  be  blamed 
in  the  ancient  way,  even  for  the  calumnies  which,  in 
his  disappointment  and  irritation,  he  had  been  the 
means  of  spreading.  The  same  man,  Moore,  under 
prosperous  conditions,  would  no  doubt  have  been  a 
normal  individual,  but  the  constant  need  of  means 
to  keep  up  the  position  which  his  birth  had  given 
him  had  brought  him  to  this  state.  So  that,  as 
usual,  one  had  to  come  to  the  conclusion  that  human 
destinies  were  dependent  mainly  on  possession  or 
on  non-possession. 

Ames  dined  that  evening  at  a  restaurant,  and  after 
a  stroll  upon  the  front  returned  to  Moore's  hotel, 
where  he  learnt  from  the  proprietor  that  the  patient 
had  been  put  to  bed  and  was  sleeping  soundly  after 
the  opiate  which  the  doctor  had  prescribed.  No 
doubt  he  would  be  better  the  next  morning. 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      291 

"  To-morrow,"  Ames  said,  "  I  hope  to  bring  him 
news  that  will  go  a  long  way  to  restore  him." 

The  next  morning  Ames  rose  early,  and  as  eight 
o'clock  was  striking  ke  was  at  Moore's  hotel.  He 
found  Moore  still  asleep.  He  awoke,  however,  pres- 
ently, and  looked  at  Ames  with  some  timidity. 

"  You've  come  again,"  he  said.  "  But,  of  course, 
you  know,  I'm  all  right  now." 

Ames  said  that  he  was  glad  to  hear  this,  although 
he  knew  from  Moore's  drawn  features  that  it  was 
illusory. 

"  I  heard  what  you  said  last  night,"  Moore  mut- 
tered. "Have  you  been  rejected,  too?" 

Ames  assented,  but  Moore  shook  his  head. 

"  In  the  end  you  will  succeed.  I  did  think  you 
were  rich  enough  already  without  that." 

"Without  what?"  Ames  asked. 

"  Well,  you  must  know  that  they  have  inherited." 

But  Ames  confessed  his  ignorance.  He  said  at 
length : 

"  Ah,  well,  one  cannot  help  inheriting.  You  your- 
self may  be  an  heir  some  day." 

"Never,"  said  Moore  dejectedly.  "There  is  no 
chance  of  that.  My  brother  is  about  as  poor  as  I 
and  has  a  host  of  children.  I  am  condemned  to  lead 
a  stinted  life  or  give  up  living.  Indeed  I  feel  half 
dead  already." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Ames,  "  you  are  depressed ;  but 
what  would  you  say  if  your  uncle  gave  you  a  respect- 
able annuity  ?  " 

Moore  tried  to  laugh. 

"  He's  far  too  stingy,  and  he's  somewhat  pinched 
himself." 


292      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

"  Not  so  much,  perhaps,  as  you  suspect.  I  shall 
write  to  him  and  I  feel  confident  the  thing  can  be 
arranged.  How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"I'm  thirty-six,"  Moore  answered  with  alacrity. 

Ames  looked  up  at  the  ceiling,  apparently  engaged 
in  a  calculation. 

"  Six  hundred  a  year,  with  what  you  have,  would 
enable  you  to  cut  some  figure  in  the  world." 

"  Yes,  it  would  relieve  me  from  anxiety.  It  would 
indeed  be  an  enormous  boon." 

"  Very  well  then,  I  shall  see  to  it.  All  you  have 
to  do  now  is  to  get  well  and  take  the  train  for  Swit- 
zerland and  climb  the  nerves  away.  To-morrow  night 
I'll  go  with  you  as  far  as  Paris." 

Moore  brightened  visibly.     He  said: 

"  If  you  can  arrange  it  so  that  I  accept  it  from 
my  uncle,  and  from  no  one  else,  I  shall  have  to  thank 
you  greatly." 

"  Good-bye,"  said  Ames,  amused  at  the  way  in 
which  Moore  protected  his  self-love. 

"  I  shall  attend  to  the  thing  at  once.  In  the 
meantime  just  keep  quiet  and  I'll  call  in  the  after- 
noon." 

Humming  a  tune,  Ames  left  the  place  and  returned 
to  his  room  to  write.  Truly  the  balm  of  gold  was 
wonderful!  This  helpless  creature,  unable  to  earn 
a  living,  and  desiring  ardently  to  live,  had  been  partly 
cured  by  the  prospect  of  a  larger  income.  Well, 
he  had  been  the  means  of  introducing  him  to  Elaine 
and  that  was  worth  a  sacrifice.  It  would  never  do, 
of  course,  if  there  were  many  to  indemnify  in  this 
way,  for  the  robustest  fortune  would  not  stand  the 
strain.  But  fortunately  Moores  were  somewhat 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      298 

scarce  and  he  might  not  meet  another.  Thinking 
thus,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  the  uncle,  explaining  that 
in  consequence  of  an  indebtedness  to  Moore  he  wished 
to  purchase  an  annuity  for  him  which,  for  reasons 
to  be  ultimately  explained,  must  ostensibly  proceed 
from  him  (the  uncle).  Winston  the  solicitor,  to 
whom  he  was  writing,  would  arrange  it  all. 

When  he  had  written  the  two  letters,  he  gave 
them  to  Giacomo  to  post  with  a  sigh  of  relief.  He 
was  tired  of  Moore  and  vowed  that  if  he  caused  him 
further  trouble  after  this,  he  would  deal  with  him  in 
a  very  different  way. 

At  the  midday  breakfast,  he  took  his  place  as 
usual,  though  not  without  embarrassment,  at  the  side 
table.  He  found  the  Hursts,  as  always,  cordial ;  but 
he  sought  in  vain,  in  Elaine's  face,  the  trace  of  an 
encouragement.  Surely  she  was  not  going  to  be 
obdurate.  If  so,  that  would  delay  his  plans.  But 
in  the  end  must  she  not  yield?  Could  women  long 
resist  the  male  attack?  No,  he  did  not  think  so. 
To  ascertain  the  direction  of  the  mind,  he  asked 
them  if  they  would  like,  by  chance,  to  make  a 
Channel  cruise,  to  Jersey  or  to  Brittany?  If  so, 
he  would  have  his  yacht  up  from  Southampton  as 
soon  as  his  captain  had  finished  his  honeymoon,  in  a 
few  days'  time.  But  as  Mrs.  Hurst  declared  that 
she  was  by  no  means  a  good  sailor  and  declined  his 
offer,  thanking  him,  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  in 
that  direction. 

That  afternoon  the  Hursts  did  not  appear  upon 
the  front  and  Ames  was  inclined  to  take  this  as  a  bad 
omen.  Perhaps,  after  all,  this  enterprise  would  fail 
and  he  would  have  to  choose  between  celibacy  and  its 


294      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

opportunism  or  marriage  with  some  spendthrift 
schemer,  and  he  walked  about  taking  interest  in  noth- 
ing and  almost  glad  when  it  was  time  to  go  to 
Moore's  hotel. 

He  found  the  neurasthenic  somewhat  better, 
though  listless,  lying  on  his  back  with  his  legs  arched. 
He  told  him  that  he  had  written  as  he  had  promised. 
If  Moore  felt  well  enough,  they  would  start  for  Paris 
the  next  morning  as  he  was  beginning  to  have  had 
enough  of  Dieppe. 

Moore  said: 

"  I'm  in  your  hands,"  and  it  was  agreed  that  they 
would  take  the  early  train. 

That  evening  Ames  announced  his  departure  the 
next  morning,  watching  the  effect  the  announcement 
had  upon  Elaine  and  perceiving  only  a  slight  expres- 
sion of  surprise  upon  her  countenance.  She  asked 
however : 

"  Do  you  leave  for  good?  " 

And  he  replied: 

"  For  no  more  than  a  day ! " 

Then  he  related  Moore's  indisposition  briefly  and 
somewhat  superficially,  omitting  the  dramatic  inci- 
dents, saying  that  on  hearing  of  it  he  had  gone  to 
see  him  and  that  they  had  not  only  become  reconciled 
but  had  travelled  as  far  as  Paris  in  each  other's 
company,  and  this  explanation  was  accepted. 

That  evening  he  spent  in  his  own  room,  but  the 
next  morning  he  started  at  eight,  conducted  his  late 
enemy  to  Paris,  put  him  in  the  train  for  Switzerland 
and  took  the  night  express  to  Dieppe.  Moore  had 
become  clay  in  the  potter's  hands. 

The  next  morning  as  Ames  was  leaving  the  hotel, 


THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES      295 

he  met  Elaine  who  was  about  to  join  her  mother  on 
the  beach. 

"Back  already!"  she  exclaimed,  as  they  started 
off  together. 

"  Do  you  think,"  he  said,  by  way  of  answer,  "  that 
I  could  stay  away  an  hour  more  than  was  imperative 
when  my  fate  was  in  the  balance?  " 

At  this  she  became  grave. 

"  I  ought  to  tell  you  that  it's  just  as  I  anticipated. 
I've  thought  and  thought  and  yet  I  have  not  found 
it  in  me  to  say  yes." 

"  At  least  you  have  not  decided  to  say  no.  Take 
all  the  time  you  need,  for  could  I  ever  want  any  one 
but  you?  " 

They  reached  the  place  where  Mrs.  Hurst  was  sit- 
ting and  no  more  was  said,  but  for  the  next  few 
days  Ames  applied  himself  with  all  his  skill  to  con- 
quering her  shyness,  telling  her  stories  of  his  youth 
in  Florence  and  the  brave  acts  of  his  mother  strug- 
gling against  poverty  to  give  him  the  education 
which  had  enabled  him  to  hold  his  place  in  life;  en- 
deavouring by  every  means  he  knew  to  engage  her 
interest  and  to  make  her  think  of  him  the  best  com- 
panion she  could  have. 

At  length  a  week  passed  thus,  and  although  she 
became  more  friendly,  yet  there  was  no  sign  of  her 
acceptance  of  his  offer.  At  last  he  took  decisive 
action.  Going  one  morning  to  the  post  office,  he 
telegraphed  to  Barnes  to  come  at  once  to  Dieppe. 
Then  he  announced  to  Elaine  his  intended  cruise 
around  the  world.  He  wanted  to  give  her  full  time 
to  reflect,  he  said,  when  he  found  an  opportunity, 
and  he  begged  of  her  to  give  him  leave  to  send  a 


296      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  AMES 

message  from  each  port.  She  agreed  to  this  and 
when  the  yacht  arrived  and  she  saw  that  he  was 
really  going,  then  she  seemed  to  him  regretful.  Ac- 
companied by  her  mother  she  witnessed  his  departure, 
and  just  before  the  vessel  moved  off  from  the  pier 
she  said,  with  a  little  smile: 

"  At  least  I  promise  that  on  your  return  you'll 
find  me  just  as  disengaged  as  now." 

He  stood  long  upon  the  bridge,  waving  his  hat 
to  her,  convinced  that  his  cause  was  good.  As  soon 
as  the  ship  was  well  outside  the  harbour,  he  turned 
to  Barnes: 

"  Now,  Barnes,  around  the  globe  as  fast  as 
possible." 


XV 

IN  January,  Ames  returned.  After  a  rapid  voyage, 
via  Suez,  Bengal,  Melbourne,  staying  a  short  time 
only  in  each  port,  and  inspecting  the  island  which  he 
decided  to  acquire,  the  Exe  reached  Southampton, 
and  Ames'  first  act  was  to  take  the  train  for  London 
and  to  drive  to  Bayswater.  He  had  not  failed  to 
cable  to  Elaine,  giving  her  his  impressions  of  things 
seen  and  expressing  his  hope  that  he  was  not  forgot- 
ten. At  the  Cape  he  had  received  from  her  a  few. 
words  of  thanks  and  of  encouragement. 

He  found  her  well  disposed  towards  him  on  his 
arrival  and  finally,  after  a  week's  endeavours,  he 
broke  down  her  resistance. 

The  marriage  took  place  in  the  spring  and  by  it 
Ames,  as  he  himself  declared,  was  established  on  a 
solid,  definite  basis.  The  reports  faded.  Thence- 
forward his  influence  continued  to  grow  steadily.  He 
purchased  two  established  journals  and,  in  spite  of 
the  hostility  of  Constance,  who  eventually  married 
Burleigh,  he  acquired  weight  in  politics.  In  the 
House,  he  became  a  severe  critic  of  the  acts  of  min- 
isters and  a  combatant  for  equity. 

On  one  occasion  he  was  offered  a  seat  in  the  Cabi- 
net itself.  But  he  declined,  preferring  to  exercise 
his  influence  untrammelled.  Later  the  bait  of  title 
was  held  out  to  him.  This  also  he  refused  and  with 
his  wife's  approval.  In  the  position  which  he  had 
chosen  for  himself  he  was  invulnerable,  and  he  never 

297 


298      THE  METHODS  OF  MR.  'AMES 

ceased  to  feel  his  old  distrust  of  the  class  which  had 
despised  him  in  the  days  of  poverty.  Some  of  the 
wealth  he  had  acquired  through  his  marriage  with 
Ada  was  spent  in  charity,  because  he  did  not  know  its 
origin.  The  roving  spirit  became  strong  within  him, 
and  with  or  without  his  wife,  who  fulfilled  his  highest 
expectations,  and  who  bore  him  children,  he  would 
roam  about  the  world  in  search  of  new  sensations, 
enjoying  the  illusion  that  humanity  was  better  in 
distant  latitudes  where  it  was  less  intimately  known 
to  him,  and  passing  months  at  times  upon  his  Adri- 
atic island,  patriarchally.  Life,  he  considered,  was 
a  boon,  but  he  realised  that  it  was  far  too  great  a 
burden  for  too  many  and  he  was  quite  prepared  for 
a  reapportionment  of  its  advantages  whenever  the 
time  came. 


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